


Darkness Falls but Light will not arise

by RainGoddess400



Series: Book 1- Young Awkenings [1]
Category: South Park
Genre: Blood and Gore, Children Fighting with Magic and other Supernatural Elements, Gen, Might contain bits of horror here and there, Stan has Nyctophobia: Extreme or irrational fear of the dark, Strong Language, Supernatural Elements, Will have multiple POV's, dark fantasy AU, rated T-M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-08-19 22:50:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 104,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8227438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainGoddess400/pseuds/RainGoddess400
Summary: An approaching darkness plans to engulf the world, it's underlings have already made their move as the darkness itself slowly creeps. Children in the small town of South Park were chosen to defeat the darkness with powers of their own, however as they grow other obstacles not related to the darkness will come their way.





	1. How It All Started

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I am here with another Stenny fic that's rated T-M. There will be no smut just gore, blood, and other stuff. I will put up a warning when I get to it.
> 
> Please enjoy and South Park doesn't belong to me, just my OC's and the idea)

_August 5th_

He was 6 years old at the time, when the dark terrified him. It wasn't thanks to scary movies or anything like that, just looking into the dark depths seeing nothing further beyond, thinking that someone or something was lurking in the darkness was frightening enough. Because of his fear, he always crept into his parents room and slept in their bed until morning.

When the boy's parents awoke this morning to the sight of their son sleeping between the both of them, shaking slightly with his eyes clenched shut, it was not a surprise. But still a cause for concern, it had to be the third night in row this had happened. His father woke him up with a gentle shake of the shoulder.

The soft gesture awoke the little noirette with a start, his sapphire eyes wide in horror. "Relax son, it's just us," Randy reassured. Stan visibly relaxed at the soft tone of his father's voice, just being next to his parents eased his fear. The dark didn't scare him when his parents were by his side. When the boy's mother asked him what was he doing in their room, concern evident in her tone, he froze.

Thoughts of should he tell them or not paraded his mind, he wanted to tell them but he wouldn't hear the end of it. Especially from his big sister. She would tease him constantly on the matter, using his fear to her advantage. But he didn't care, so he told them the truth, that the dark terrified him. His parents said nothing for a moment until his mother declared they get him a nightlight. The child instantly denied the idea with a shake of his head. "Sweety a nightlight will help you sleep better, in your  _own_  room," Sharon reasoned.

With that the two adults got up to start their day, his mother going to start on breakfast and his father going to do whatever. It was the weekend so the both of them didn't have to go to work. Stan got out of his parents' bed and went to his room to start his day also.

He went over to his dresser for some clothes, socks, and underwear then went to his bathroom. He washed his face then put on his clothes. He always brushed his teeth after breakfast, a forced routine his mother placed onto him. He walked downstairs finding both his father and sister present at the dining table, still in their pajamas. His mother cooked a simple meal, omelettes, but the boy found his food half-eaten.

 _"Seriously?"_ He groaned in annoyance, he should've known his sister was going to eat some of his breakfast since she always did whether he was at the table or not. He sat beside Shelly glaring at her all the while to which the girl ignored as their mother came to the table with two coffee mugs in her hands. She sat one mug down in front of her, and the other in front of her husband. "So Stan, Shelly, any plans for today?" Sharon asked before eating, starting up their daily conversation over a meal.

"Is it okay if I can go see Kyle?" Stan asked looking to what's left of his food with a glare. "Also can I get another omelette? Thanks to ugly over here, I only have half left." His comment earned him a punch to the arm, it wasn't strong but it still stung. He hissed as he rubbed his stinging arm.

Sharon pondered the question before nodding, she saw no harm in him going over to Kyle's. They didn't live too far from the Broflovski's. "Sure but don't stay out too long, and no I can't cook you another omelette," she answered. Stan groaned again, settling for taking little bites of his food with Shelly laughing at him. "What about you Shelly?" Sharon asked the brunette. She just shrugged in response, and resumed eating.

"You're not gonna ask me what I'm gonna do today?" Randy pouted. Sharon rolled her eyes but decided to ask anyway, knowing the man was going to start bellyaching unless she didn't.

"Fine what are you going to do today?" The lack of care was evident in her tone, but Randy either didn't hear or ignored it for he started talking about going drinking with the guys later, resulting in Sharon disagreeing, then they argued from there.

I'm done," Stan announced shortly after amidst his parents' arguing.  _"Glad she didn't bring up the nightlight,"_ he thought in relief. He got up leaving his empty plate on the table and went upstairs to brush his teeth. After a few minutes, he left his room and walked back downstairs to retrieve his brown jacket and red poof ball hat from the coat rack. Afterwards he put on his boots. "I'm heading out now," he told his family before opening the door and taking one step forward.

He stopped in the doorway when he heard his mother tell him to wait. "I'll have your nightlight by the time you get back later," she told him with a playful smile. Stan groaned for the third time, then walked out and closed the door, still able to hear Shelly's boisterous laughter from behind it.

The noirette shivered once the cold air hit him, South Park was famous for it's everyday winter. Not many people were out this morning, only a few driving slowly on the frozen rode. He walked down the sidewalk to Kyle's house. Out of all the friends Stan had, only Kyle lived closest to him.

About a minute later he reached his destination, sadly finding their driveway empty. The boy sighed, turning back the way he came back to his house. He could visit his orange parka wearing friend Kenny, but where he lived wasn't exactly safe especially when going there alone. He could also visit another friend of his, but the fat child probably wouldn't want his company, not on a weekend at least. He never really had. But to be honest the noirette rarely hung out with Cartman by himself, the four children would always be together but with the occasional absence of Kenny who lived on the poor side of town.

So throughout the remainder of the day, Stan had to put up with his bully of a sister until he retreated to his room that evening.

When the sun had set, the sapphire-eyed boy tried sleeping in his room with the help of the nightlight his mother bought. The little football lamp by his nightstand was providing little light around him, but it eased his worry of the dark.  _"I don't why but having a nightlight makes me feel lame,"_ he suddenly thought. Whenever his friends came over, he'll be sure to hide it, knowing Cartman the boy would make fun of him endlessly if he were to see it.

It was around  **9:00 p.m** when Stan heard a tapping sound against his window.

His eyes were closed but he wasn't fully asleep, the sudden sound alerted him. A split second later he heard it again, except louder.  _"The heck was that?"_ The child grew terrified. He opened his eyes and was greeted by the pitch blackness of his room. His curtains were closed and his nightlight was off, coating his room in darkness. Stan shot up in bed and turned his lamp on, the nightlight turning back on also. A great feeling of unease crept up on him. He waited a few more seconds until he turned the lamp off. The nightlight stayed on.

It was  **10:30 p.m** when the boy heard another sound, this time directly in his room. It wasn't loud enough to wake him, but it did startle him. He kept his eyes closed, and tried to drift back to sleep.

_"THUD"_

The loud sound caused the boy to scream, the noise sounding as if something had fallen to the floor. Light from his lamp flooded the room once again, but this time his nightlight flickered on and off before completely going out. Stan glanced around his room with wide eyes, later locating one of his books on the floor. It was open, as if someone had entered his room just to read through one his children books. The child made no attempt to move, but something told him to investigate both his nightlight and the book.

He gulped as he slowly lifted up his covers and got out of bed, his room's cold air hitting his feet like a gust of strong wind. His Terrance and Phillip pajamas kept him slightly warm against the harsh temperature. The smooth carpeting on the floor was cold also, but it was a comfortable feeling. He always loved the soft fabric underneath his bare feet. Stan tentatively made his way to his nightlight. He unplugged it then plugged it back in, but it refused to light up. He frowned as he placed it on his nightstand, thinking to tell his mother about it in the morning.

Stan then walked over to the opened book, his heart beginning to pound in anticipation. Once he was close to the object, he noticed that the book wasn't his. Not a single one of his books were empty of words and pictures. Confusion and horror struck him hard at the acknowledgement, his body shaking from both the cold and fear coursing through his body.

 _"W-what should I do with the book and nightlight?"_ He thought nervously.

Waking up his parents to show them the blank book seemed like a really good idea, plus he could tell his mother about the busted nightlight. But how would they react? Well the only way was to find out so he walked over to his door and unlocked it...Only to discover it wouldn't open. The boy began to pull on the knob desperately, but it remained shut tight.  _"Are you serious?!"_  He turned and looked around, trying to find the creature or whatever that was keeping him locked in his own room.

He spotted nothing in his apprehensive state out of the ordinary, only the opened book that lay on the floor. Maybe he was being extremely paranoid over nothing, the book probably just fell from the edge of his bookshelf and ended up on a random blank page, and the nightlight and his door...He wasn't too sure about those.

 _"Maybe if I knock...,"_ he raised his fist and pounded on the door as hard as he could to get his parents' attention.

But not a sound came from it. He tried one more time but got the same result, it's as if he was hitting air. "Mom, dad!" Stan called out as loud as he could, repeating the process until he heard the sound of shuffling.

 _"They heard me!"_ He thought, relieved. The black haired boy started pulling on the doorknob to further grab his parents' awareness. But he stopped at the realization that there were no thudding footsteps coming towards him. He felt his heart sink; he shouted, pulled on the doorknob, and banged on the door for them to wake up. But alas his attempts were futile.

Amidst his desperate cries, words began to form on his door. The lamp's light started to flicker as if it were warning him of the approaching danger. Stan froze, light beginning to glow from the door albeit only slightly in an ominous green. The boy fell onto his butt, his uncontrollably shaking legs couldn't support his small frame any longer. The horror increasing within him made his body feel heavy. As he stared on, the faintly glowing green words stopped five seconds later.

It was a simple, eerie message. The green words slowly oozed it's goop down his door. "G-go...to the book," Stan read aloud.

He looked over to said object with skeptical eyes. He soon crawled over to it, and pulled it towards his knees. As he gazed at the blank paged book, a cold, abnormal feeling crawled up his spine. He looked at the book with horror-stricken orbs, his breathing quick and labored. A scratching sound began to fill the room, the source coming from the book itself. Sapphire eyes remained glued to the sinister book as words slowly took form on it's blank white pages.

Red.

Big and bold blood red words formed across the pages. After a couple of seconds, the writing ceased, and complete silence followed immediately after. The frightened child found his breath lodged inside his throat, his skin complexion turning a ghostly white.

The words causing his fearful turmoil were:

**THE DARK HUNGERS FOR YOU, STANLEY MARSH**

_August 6th- Sharon  
_

The following morning, the boy's parents noticed that their son hadn't left his room. Nor had he entered their's last night, Sharon assuming the nightlight had did the trick. She smiled at the thought, Stan could finally sleep without worry, but he had to wake up now though.

Sharon placed a plate of pancakes down in the center of the dining table before making her way to Stan's room, both Randy and Shelly wasting no time eating their breakfast. She lightly knocked on the door softly calling her son's name, but she received no reply. It's only Sunday but she wanted him to eat breakfast first then he could go back to sleep or do whatever else he did over the weekends. She tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked much to her surprise. Stan always locked his door before bed.

She gently pushed the door forward, peeking her head in through the small opening. Instead of seeing her son still asleep in his bed, she found him sitting up in it. His eyes dull and shaken. Sharon quickly made her way over to him, his skin pale and his breathing shallow. She placed a hand on his forehead, his hot skin telling her that he had came down with a cold.

She ordered him to lay down, but Stan made no effort to move. It's as if he hadn't heard her. Instead he muttered, "There's ghosts in this house."

Sharon froze, concern and confusion apparent on her face. "Stan what're you-"

"I was calling for you last night! You and dad!" He shouted, tears forming in his eyes. "I was so scared mom, I-I banged on the door but you-you..." His words turned into incoherent babble as he began to cry. Sharon quickly hugged him, rubbing his back in a soothing motion as she told him to calm down. She heard nothing last night except for Randy's light snoring. That was it.

Stan's crying calmed some after a minute or two, his cheeks flushed a bright pink.

Sharon pulled back a little, her frown deepening at the state of her son. "Book," he suddenly mumbled, his eyes red and still dull in color as they stared passed her. "It wrote something down in that book." As if the boy was possessed, Stan's little finger slowly pointed to the book that was laying on the floor.

Sharon's cerulean eyes followed his finger to the closed book, it's cover a chocolate brown. She returned her gaze back to Stan for a brief moment before walking over to the book.  _"What could this so called ghost had possibly written?"_ She thought doubtfully. Children Stan's age say the weirdest things, but this was actually his first time uttering words about a ghost. Once Sharon was near the book, she picked it up with suspicious care, not recalling buying a book like this for her son.

Without a seconds hesitation, she opened it, raising an eyebrow at what she saw. "Stan," she began, turning around and making her way over to the silent boy. The noirette waited in nervous anticipation for the words his mother were about to say, also feeling hot and lightheaded. "This book only has pictures in it," Sharon finally said.

There was an unsettling silence, sapphire orbs slowly growing in size as Stan processed what his mother had just told him. "H-huh?" Sharon showed him the book, just as she said only pictures of the wildlife were in it as she slowly turned each page. Stan only sat there in incredulity as chills made their way up his body, there was no way he dreamt the events of last night. Through his muddled mind, he remembered as clear as the words he saw on his door what happened last night. Wait, his door...

He pushed himself out of bed, ignoring his mother's call for him to get back in bed. Once again the cool fabric of his carpet enthralled his bare feet, his upper body mildly hot whereas his lower half was now cooled. With the door now within his reach, Stan closed it to show his mother the green words he saw last night.

Except they weren't there.

Just like the book, the door appeared normal. "No this can't be right," he muttered to himself, shock evident in his voice. A turbulence of emotions swirled throughout his body: shock, disbelief, fatigue, and the majority feeling of unease. It was all too much for him to handle, it was a terrible combination for his cold. "Stan what- Stan!" Sharon caught her son before he collapsed to the floor, his breathing heavy and his pink cheeks a shade darker.

She quickly placed him back into his bed, and pulled the covers over him. "Hold on sweety, I'm going to get you a wet rag and some medicine," she said hastily before leaving the room.

 _"I wasn't dreaming was I? About last night,"_ were Stan's last thoughts before sleep overtook him.

Sharon came back a minute later with the items she said she was going to retrieve. She told Randy and Shelly of Stan's cold. Sharon set the bottle of children's medicine on the nightstand once she saw Stan fast asleep, then placed the cool, wet rag over his forehead. She stood there in her son's room, frowning at the ill state her child was in. She sighed, then she grabbed the book from the edge of the nightstand and walked over to Stan's bookshelf to return it to it's rightful place. But she saw something odd.

The bookshelf was full, not a single space was empty.  _"Where did this book come from then?"_ She thought, confused. The book had children's pictures in it although she still had no recollection of ever buying it, yet the shelf had no empty space where the book once was. Her frown deepened and instead placed it back on the nightstand, next to the nightlight. She kissed the rag on Stan's forehead before exiting the room.

* * *

_August 8th- Kyle  
_

On a Tuesday afternoon, Stan's super best friend Kyle came to visit him. The little Jew had just left from school, sadly Kenny couldn't join him for he had died before they had even gotten to school that morning. Kyle had to say both his and Stan's usual saying after Kenny's death all by himself since the black haired boy wasn't with them, needless to say it didn't feel right. Cartman went straight home afterwards, stating he didn't want to catch Stan's cold or what's left of it.

Sharon was at home when Kyle arrived. She stayed with Stan during the duration of his sickness, and wasn't going to work until he got better. Kyle lightly knocked on the door, waiting only a couple of seconds until it opened. "Oh hello Kyle," Sharon greeted, opening the door wider to let him in. "Came to check up on Stan?"

The boy nodded as he entered the house, removing his book bag, boots, and ushanka. He kept his jacket on for he was still cold from the famous everlasting winter of South Park. It's like Summer didn't even exist in this town. A red haired afro sprung to life once the green hat was taken off. He always hated his hair, not because it stood out from the rest of the kids' hair in color, but because it was untameable. He once broke his mother's comb and brush when she tried to smooth it out, thus was the reason he wore a hat.

The thought of his unruly hair brought up a memory, a memory he would never forget.

It was his first day in South Park Preschool, he was 4 years old at the time. He and his family were living in the bustling city of New York prior to moving. Kyle's little brother, Ike Broflovski, was adopted after the redhead's 3rd birthday, the baby boy was now half-Canadian and half-Jewish. Their mother grew tired of the constant noise everyday and night thus was the reason they moved to South Park: a small, quiet town. Sheila knew instantly that she was going to like it there.

Ike was still practically a newborn at the time so Kyle went to school alone. On his first day he was already the main target for bullies. They made fun of his hair color and shape, calling him a daywalker, ginger, and other foul names little children were not supposed to be aware of at the time. Well South Park was a small town so maybe children learned fast here?

Kyle ignored them, or at least tried to. Back in New York he was made fun of as well, not for his hair color but how it was shaped. It died down after the third day. He pretty much expected the same treatment here in South Park, so he willed himself to stay strong and just ignore them so long as they didn't touch him. But they're making fun of both his hair color and shape. Their teacher had stepped out a few seconds ago, and three children took that opportunity to pick on him.

The name calling continued after what felt like minutes, greatly getting on Kyle's nerves.

He never had the urge to hurt someone before, the ill-feeling within him felt like it was about to take control of his body. He had the strong urge to punch the three children poking fun at him. He didn't know where this resentment came from, he never felt this way in his school back in New York so why now? He always cried when he was bullied back home.

Lime-green eyes glared daggers at the three laughing boys before him, the rest too preoccupied with their toys, books, and blocks to pay any attention to them. All except one.

The glare alone was enough to lower their laughter to nervous chuckles before they fell silent, the shear anger in his eyes sending a chill down their spine. But before he could say anything to them, a little boy with black hair and sapphire eyes stepped in. His eyes were narrowed also but the three bullies felt no hostility from him unlike Kyle's.

"You butthole's leave him alone," the boy demanded, his little voice serious and confident.

The teacher came in shortly after pushing a t.v on a cart in, stating that they were going to watch a movie until lunchtime. The three left Kyle alone and went to follow the rest of the children to the television. Kyle was staring at the little noirette's back in shock. He didn't think anyone would come to his rescue, not like he needed any. He stood up from the chair he was sitting in to tap the boy's shoulder for their attention. "Umm thanks for sticking up for me, but I didn't need any help," Kyle told him truthfully.

The boy turned around, giving Kyle a toothy grin. "No problem, and suuure you didn't." Kyle heard the boy's sarcasm at the end, but ignored it. "I can't stand those three anyway, they always pick on people. Even girls!" The boy told him.

The next day and so forth, the two began talking and horsing around with each other. A boy in a orange parka would join them sometimes along with a chubby kid with brown hair. Kyle wasn't harassed anymore by the three children as the days progressed. If one of them so much as looked at him, they would be met with a glare which made them think twice about even acknowledging the redhead.

The four later introduced themselves. Kyle found out the black haired boy's name was Stan, the parka wearing boy was Kenny, and the fat kid was Eric, but he preferred to be called by his last name, Cartman. Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman became best friends from then on, later evolving into super best friends Stan declared both he and Kyle once he saw how cool the redhead was. Kenny felt left out, but didn't let it show, his parka's hood practically covered his whole face for him to show any emotion. Eric didn't really care, he later made fun of the two which caused Kyle to retaliate in his and Stan's defense.

Kyle smiled at the memory, they've basically been inseparable since then. Both he and Stan. They've been super best friends for two years now, he didn't even think it would be possible for him and he hoped they stayed that way even as they grew older. Once Kyle snapped back to reality, he blushed in embarrassment when he saw Mrs. Marsh staring at him. He quickly excused himself to Stan's room. Sharon shook her head a little with a small smile before heading to the kitchen.

Once Kyle was in front of Stan's closed door, he waited for some seconds until he was sure his cheeks were back to their normal color before lightly knocking. "Stan? I'm coming in," he announced, letting his friend know of his arrival. He didn't get a response so he assumed Stan was still asleep. He slowly opened the door and quietly walked in.

Stan's room hadn't changed at all since the last time he'd been here, posters of football players were on his navy blue walls. He remembered Stan telling him he wanted to play football once, Kyle could somehow picture his black haired friend being a pro at the rough sport. Kyle himself though wasn't too sure if he wanted to play sports, but if he later decided to do so, he might give basketball a try. Stan's bookshelf was beside his dresser, but wasn't too close to it, and a toy box was next to his nightstand. Kyle raised an eyebrow at the football nightlight on the nightstand next to a book, he was so going to make fun of the noirette about it when he got better. There's space on the right side of Stan's bedroom door, Kyle assuming when Stan got a t.v it would go there.

Now finished scanning the room, Kyle looked to his sleeping friend. Stan's skin was pale and his breathing was raspy.

Kyle wasn't ready to go home just yet so he allowed his mind to wander. He made himself comfortable on the floor by Stan's bed. He gazed up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, the small and faint sounds of Stan's breathing slowly lullabying him to sleep.

* * *

_?_

_Kyle was over Stan's house._

_Both boys were sat on the couch in the living room, laughing their butts off at the latest Terrance and Phillip show. Stan's parents nor Shelly were at home, leaving the whole house to themselves. It was the night of their first sleepover. Only twenty minutes had passed, and the two were already having a blast. The living room lights were off while the kitchen light was on in the back._

_The series of fart jokes sent the boys into another fit of laughter, both with a tear in the corner of their eye. "Oh my God dude, Terrance and Phillip are the best," Stan said after he'd calmed down. He sat back with a content sigh, Kyle nodding in agreement, his throat sore from laughing so hard. The show ended five minutes later much to their discontent, the night was still young yet they couldn't think of anything else to do. Stan felt lame for not having a t.v in his room, later voicing this out loud for Kyle to hear._

_The redhead shrugged. "It's okay, why don't we watch a movie then?" Stan felt like face palming, he forgot that his family possessed loads of movies._

_"Alright, I'll pop some popcorn and you can pick out a movie," he said as he stood. The red haired boy got up from the couch and walked over to the t.v stand, the Marsh's had various movies ranging from comedy, romance, action, and almost every other genre. But one case got Kyle's attention._

_He took the DVD out to inspect. The cover was black like half of the others, but it had no title._

_Not a single word was on the cover, nor on the back when Kyle turned it over. He opened the case, finding the disc just as black on both the top and bottom. But he put the movie in anyway, hoping it would be a good one as he pressed play. "Wow it actually played," he thought, amazed._

_Stan came back with a big bowl full of popcorn once Kyle sat back down on the couch. "So what movie did ya put in?" Stan asked, placing the bowl in between the two of them as he sat down._

_Kyle took a handful of the buttery snack before shrugging. Stan raised an eyebrow at the simple answer. "What do you mean you don't know?"_

_Kyle chewed for a bit then swallowed, releasing a small burp shortly after. "It didn't have a title, but I think it's a horror movie."_

_Stan froze, hand hovering over the bowl. "What?" He questioned suspiciously. Stan knew they had horror movies but one that wasn't titled didn't ring a bell, plus his least favorite genre was horror. The commercials of other movies played on the television, but the two boys were looking at the other in confusion. "Yeah you didn't know you had it?" Kyle asked._

_Stan ignored the question as he pulled his hand away from the bowl, getting up and going to look at the DVD case they were watching. He used the television's light for his source as he looked at the case, just as Kyle said no title was on it. He turned it over but saw no preview images of the movie itself like on all of the others, the back empty of anything. He turned around to face Kyle, his eyes still on the case. "Umm Kyle-"_

_A shrill scream from the t.v caused Stan to scream and drop the case, Kyle flinched at the sound. After a minute Stan regained himself and turned around. On the screen showed the movie's title, it's words a confusing mixture of red and pink as it glowed ominously in the middle of the screen. There were no options to start the movie nor to select a scene to play. Just the title called "Darkness"._

_If Stan looked closely, he could make out another set of words at the end of the title. But it was practically blending in with the background so he left it alone._

_"Kyle I don't like the looks of this," Stan admitted nervously. "I-I'm gonna take it out." He bent down to do so but before he could take the disc out, Kyle told him to wait. "Why the heck should I?! This movie is freaky! Do you not see the start movie option or scene select on here?!" Stan was getting a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach, not once had he seen a movie do this before._

_Kyle didn't seem fazed by Stan's protest, knowing why his friend was acting like this. A playful smirk appeared on his lips, but thanks to the black screen and the glowing words Stan could only faintly see it. "You scared scaredy cat?" The redhead teased._

_Stan involuntarily blushed but was thankful that the dark screen concealed it from Kyle's view. "N-no I just...have a bad feeling about this movie." Kyle laughed at his response. Stan felt his cheeks grow hot in embarrassment._

_"Riiiight," Kyle droned after his mini laughing fit. "It's just a movie dude, it's probably a unheard of new movie that you somehow got a hold of. Think your dad bought it?"_

_Before Stan could even think on the question, the movie began to play behind him. Stan sighed in defeat, heading back to his spot on the couch. The film showed a family of five chatting in their house, the parents had two sons and one daughter. The three children appeared to be no older than 13 years old. The time setting was in the evening, Kyle and Stan could see the orange setting sun from behind one of the curtains in the living room the family was in._

_"Don't chicken out," Kyle warned lightly, earning a popcorn being thrown at him in response._

_The next scene showed the family eating dinner, for some odd reason they weren't saying anything. Just the sounds of silverware hitting against the plates held a rhythmic conversation of their own. "Talk about boring," Kyle muttered._

_When three minutes flew by the family was done eating. The scene focused on one of the sons. The little brown haired child entered his room in his pajamas, ready for bed. Once the boy climbed into bed, he turned his lamp off. Only the moonlight from the boy's opened curtains shimmered it's rays into his room._

**_"THUD"_ **

_The abrupt sound caused all three boys to jump, the boy in the movie quickly turning on his light. He glanced around his room for the source, but found nothing out of place. One of his books from his bookshelf looked like it was about to fall though. He did another quick scan before turning his lamp off and laying back down._

_"You think the book's gonna fall?" Kyle asked in a whisper._

_"Maybe," Stan answered, trying hard not to show any signs of fear on his face. He didn't want Kyle to think he was a chicken, he too can handle scary movies like the redhead. Just if someone was watching it with him._

_About another three minutes later in the movie, the two boys heard a light tapping sound against the window. The curtains were mysteriously closed. Both Kyle and Stan grew nervous as the boy remained_ _obliviously_ _asleep in his bed, though Kyle didn't let it show like Stan did. The light tapping continued, gradually becoming louder with each passing second until-_

**_"CRASH" "THUD"  
_ **

_The sound of a window breaking along with something falling to the floor caused both Kyle and Stan to jump and scream, the bowl of popcorn falling to the floor thanks to their sudden movement. The boy in the film awoke with a start and quickly turned his lamp back on. This time he saw shards of glass littering his floor along with an_ _opened_ _book in front of his bookshelf._

_His parents had to have heard that Kyle thought. Stan was too scared to even think._

_The brown haired boy slowly got out of bed, going to his window first. Nothing indicated that someone had thrown anything into his room nor did he spot a rock so how did his window suddenly break?_

_He gulped nervously, then cautiously moved the curtains out of the way. Tense music played as he looked outside._

_A gentle breeze and the bright moon welcomed him, but that was it. Not one tree was by his window, so what was making those tapping sounds?_

_He closed the curtains then moved to the book. The boy instantly froze at what he saw._

_The opened book was blank, the one on his shelf had yet to have fallen. This book was not his._

_Kyle unconsciously leaned to Stan for comfort, fear and anticipation eating away at the both of them. But the boy in the t.v was beyond scared, he was terrified. He got on his knees and picked up the book with shaky hands._

_It was a big book, that he was certain of due to it's weight. But it only had two pages. Suddenly his lamp's light started to flicker at a rapid pace before completely going out, the room instantly engulfing in darkness. Even in Stan's house it was just as dark, Stan had turned the kitchen light off after he was done popping the popcorn._

_They watched on as the boy sat there in complete horror, fear holding an iron grip on him. Suddenly, scratching sounds overpowered the tense music, the source coming from the book._

_The camera kept it's focus on the book as words slowly began to form onto the blank white pages. With each word being written out, they began to glow in the dark, casting an even more terrifying feel to it._ _Once the writing ceased some seconds later, the words' ominous glow turned a blood red, the red liquid trailing down each page and onto the floor._

_The suspenseful music played it's last note before ending._

**THE DARK HUNGERS FOR YOU CHILD**

Kyle's body jumped with a start when he felt his head hit something. He groaned lightly as he slowly opened his eyes and sat up, realizing he had accidentally dozed off. But what was that dream? Did they really watch a movie like that during their first sleepover? He thought they had it in Stan's room...

He pushed the thought aside, and quickly sat up with droopy eyes. He rubbed the sleep from them before standing up and looking to Stan's alarm clock for the time. The red numbers read  **7:59 p.m.** Kyle paled with widened eyes, he needed to get home quick! Plus he had homework to do, and he needed to call his mother about his whereabouts.  _"Oh man, mom's gonna kill me. Literally,"_  he thought begrudgingly.

"Had a good sleep?" Asked Stan in a raspy voice.

Kyle turned around, his cheeks pink in embarrassment at the question. "Whatever, you still sick or do you have strep throat now?" He asked.

Before Stan could answer, a light knock on the door intervened. Sharon revealed herself shortly after. "I'm sorry Mrs. Marsh, I kinda fell asleep," Kyle admitted lamely as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Sharon shook her head with a small smile. "No need to apologize, I already knew that when I came up here to check and see how Stan was doing." For the third time today, Kyle blushed. "Also I called your mother and told her that you were over here and that you're spending the night. She almost went to the police if I hadn't of called sooner."

"Huh? But it's a school night," Kyle protested. A skeptical feeling entered him, his mother hadn't been herself lately and neither Kyle nor his family knew the reason why. There were times where she would act like herself, but then change to an emotionless zombie come the next day or two.

"Yes I know but I suddenly got called into work, and I couldn't turn them down," Mrs. Marsh sighed. "I can't leave Stan here by himself since Shelly and Randy aren't here and he's still sick. I told Sheila that too, and she said that she'll bring you spare clothes around eight tonight."

Kyle still felt unsure but happy at the same time. He liked the thought of spending the night over his friend's house again, even if the latter was sick. He would never admit it out loud, even if he did it would cost him, but he preferred the Marsh's house over his own home. Mainly because his home had been acting strange as of late, and he was sure his mother was the cause of it. He felt as though he could relax here, and not worry about his mother's unusual behavior.

Kyle nodded his understanding and Sharon took her leave, leaving the door slightly ajar. Neither boy uttered a word to the other after the woman left, Stan's light and hoarse breathing was the only sound. Kyle's mind drifted back to the dream he had, curious about the strange movie they had watched that night of their sleepover. "Hey Stan, can I ask you something?" Stan didn't respond. Kyle looked to him finding his sapphire eyes half-lidded and glued to the ceiling. "Oi earth to Stan," Kyle said a bit louder.

Stan blinked, gliding his still half-opened eyes towards Kyle. "Yeah what is it?" His voice was void of emotion for some reason, and a bit nasally. Kyle could drop the subject and ask some other time, but he wanted to ask it now and get it over with.

"You remember our first sleepover?" He asked first, wanting to jog Stan's memory on the matter before going to the main topic.

He once again didn't receive a response until after a few seconds. "Yeah what about it?" Stan asked.

Kyle's eyes stayed on his friend's pale figure. "You remember the movie we watched after Terrance and Phillip?"

This time he received a reaction from the noirette, his eyebrow elevating in confusion. "Movie? We didn't watch a movie."

It was Kyle's turn to react the same way, but his was of shock. Did Stan not remember or could it be the cold talking, effecting his memory. Maybe they actually  _did_  have the sleepover in Stan's room...

"Yeah we did, we watched a movie called "Darkness," Kyle told his friend a matter-of-factly.

Stan's eyes widened, his sapphire orbs containing shear horror in them through their sudden lack of color. His body began to shake as if the room's temperature dropped even lower than it already was.

Kyle grew concerned about Stan's odd behavior, was he that shaken by the movie? It  _was_  indeed scary, the poor boy in the film died a gruesome death after he read the words in the book. Blood was painted everywhere with the boy's guts and organs scattered about. It was as if he had exploded. After his death, the movie ended. They didn't know if the boy's family had found out about his death or not. It was a short, weird film, and it disgusted and scared the absolute crap out of them.

Once Kyle realized that the movie was over, he blushed a deep red at the position he was in. He quickly separated himself from Stan, his heart pounding in fear at what he'd just watched and embarrassment. But Stan hadn't moved, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape, staring blankly at the television.

The sound of the front door's doorbell pulled Kyle from his thoughts. Stan had his back to him but his shaking had calmed a little bit. Kyle shook his head of the memory, exiting the room as soon as Mrs. Marsh called for him of his mother's arrival. He prepared himself for the scolding he was about to receive.

He would bring up the movie again at a later time, when Stan was feeling better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Was it good? Please comment or provide some honest feedback, I'm always willing to accept those and I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be up soon)


	2. Mysteries That Lurk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: PLEASE READ I have decided to make this fic a story, though I know I probably wont get many reads but it's something I wanted to do so I'll do it. I appreciate the four kudos though.
> 
> Once I'm done with I am you and you are me? I will focus on this fic and occasionally on Valentine academy...Not gonna lie I almost forgot about that fic...I only have one or two more chapters for I am you so that will be up shortly, probably come Wednesday or Thursday or just whenever I have this chapter up.
> 
> Also I'm letting you know now that this chapter is a flashback, well it actually starts after the line break and it will revert back to the present towards the end. Please enjoy)

When Kyle walked downstairs of the Marsh's household that same evening, he was immediately bombarded with questions from his mother. Kyle was only on the last step. "Why didn't you call me or at least tell me this morning you were coming over here?" Was her first query, her face serious, warning Kyle not to even think about coming up with some pathetic excuse.

Kyle opened his mouth to answer, but the older redhead continued. "Also why would you come over here knowing Stan was still sick? Do you know you can-"

"Sheila," Sharon interjected softly. "Please calm down and let Kyle have a chance to explain himself." Truth be told Sharon knew little about the Broflovski's even though they had been here for two years now. They seemed nice upon first glance, however Sharon was beginning to sense that something was slowly becoming amiss with the family as time flew.

Sheila sighed. "Sorry, I got a bit too carried away," she admitted although she felt no guilt in her words. "But I was so worried, you didn't return home this afternoon from school."

Kyle frowned as he held his head low in shame. He didn't mean to scare his mother, to make her worry this much. He was simply supposed to come here and check on Stan then leave. "I'm really sorry mom, I only came here to see how Stan was doing then head home afterwards, but I fell asleep." Kyle mumbled the last part, his eyes focusing intently on the wooden floor beneath the last step he was on, feeling ashamed that his excuse was that he slept unintended.

Sheila was silent for a moment, her face blank. "Here's your book bag full of clothes, be sure to come straight home once Sharon returns." She handed him his bag then left out of the door. She didn't give Kyle a goodbye kiss or a hug, she just left leaving an awkward silence in the air. Kyle's frown deepened, Sharon looking to the crestfallen redhead with a frown of her own. That was so unlike Sheila, why did she get that upset for Sharon wondered.

"Kyle-"

The redhead shook his head, already aware of what Mrs. Marsh wanted to ask. "I-it's okay. This isn't the first time she's acted like this." Kyle quickly retreated upstairs to Stan's room, his unseen eyes glossy as they were ready to shed some unwanted tears.

Sharon sighed and shook her head. She wanted to keep her nose out of other people's business but this was something she felt she couldn't ignore. Kyle was a sweet kid, Sheila had no right to get that upset at her own child over a small matter.  _"Oh well, there's nothing I can do and I need to leave for work. I'll leave Kyle a note."_ She scanned the living room in search for a pencil and paper.

Once Kyle was in front of Stan's partly opened door, he paused in front of it. His shoulders shook every so often, his throat holding back his sobs that were trying to force their way out. He hated the look his mother gave him, it was as if she was silently telling him how disappointed she was with him.

When he first received the look, however, his mother appeared as if she was possessed. Her eyes were empty and dull, clear signs indicating that she wasn't in control of her own body. During her 'possessed' phase, she didn't talk to him for three days, more like she didn't even acknowledge him.

Kyle didn't even know what he did that day for his mother to disregard him so suddenly nor the sudden change in her persona.

***Flashback***

_May 15th_

Kyle was still 6 years old at the time, a Kindergartner in South Park Elementary.

He, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman along with the rest of the students were working with Play-doh. Their teacher held a contest to see who could make something interesting out of their dough, the children could either work as a pair, a group, or by themselves. They must use ALL of their Play-doh without the need of tools to win, it was a test to see which child was more creative. Mrs. Wayford gave them five minutes, whoever won would get both extra credit and a special prize on Friday.

Kyle was immediately picked by a hyper Stan, his sapphire eyes shining with excitement as he was positive the two of them were going to win. "Mmph mph mmph mph mmph (Can I join you guys?)" Kenny's muffled voice asked behind his hood, his hazel eyes visible. In his arms were three containers of Play-doh: green, brown, and yellow. Kyle and Stan raised an eyebrow, having no idea what the boy said. They never really did to begin with.

"He asked could he join you two love birds," Cartman clarified for the confused boys. He walked over to their table and sat with them, three cups of Play-doh in his care.

A shade of pink made it's way to Kyle's cheeks, his eyes narrowing at his so-called friend. "Shut it tubby, we're not lovers," he denied with annoyance.

"Yeah, me and Kyle are super best friends," Stan corrected proudly.

"Whatever," Cartman mumbled with an eye roll. He said nothing more, and began to take the Play-doh out from their containers.

"Mmmmph mph mph (Sooo can I)?" Kenny asked again. Stan nodded and the boy sat in the chair beside the noirette.

"You wanna join us Cartman?" Stan asked. Kyle silently prayed that the boy would refuse.

Cartman paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah I don't wanna share the extra points and the cool prize with you guys." An inaudible sigh of relief escaped past Kyle's lips, and the three boys got to work.

It's five minutes later that a shrill ring of a timer called for the children's attention. Half of them whined in disappointment whereas an individual shrieked at the loud noise. "Alright kids time is up. If you still have to make some finishing touches please do them now, I will give you thirty seconds," Mrs. Wayford said. She set the timer for an additional thirty seconds that was on her desk, and stood by it as she observed her students with a small smile.

"Kyle you think that's enough time?" Stan asked, doubtful. Kyle looked at their progress with furrowed eyebrows. What the three of them have made thus far was a pond with a duck in it. They had used up all of the blue for the pond, and had to combine half of the brown Play-doh with the yellow to make the duck. It's right wing, beak, and eyes brown. Kyle wasn't too sure what else they could make with the untouched green so he shook his head.

"I don't see what else we can make with the green clay," his answer made Stan frown. Kenny trailed his gaze to the green container and the brown one, after a short while his eyes widened in realization. "Mph mph mph mmph! (I got an idea)!" His muffled voice exclaimed. He grabbed both the green and brown Play-doh containers and began to work, Kyle and Stan watching him curiously.

Mrs. Wayford glanced at her timer. "You all have ten seconds left," she warned. The children began to protest in urgency. Cartman however laughed, three colorful flat donuts laying before him. Both Kyle and Stan silently urged Kenny to hurry, so far the orange parka wearing boy had used up all of the brown but only had a little bit of green left.

Kyle decided to help his friend out now that he knew what the other was trying to create. He quickly tried to make little leaves out of the remaining green, but ended up making more clay after stretching them. Stan came to his rescue and took the little bits of clay. "I'll work on these," he told Kyle although Stan wasn't confident he could use them all with the little time they had left.

Kenny pointed to his finished tree, Stan taking the hint and gently placing the small bits into it. "Five seconds left," Mrs. Wayford warned again. She began to count down the dwindling time on her timer.

"Four." Stan placed the finishing touches on the tree. Kenny gently smoothed it out as a final touch.

"Three." Kyle began to struggle under the pressure. He hadn't made not one leaf yet, it's too difficult without tools. What he's made resembled nothing close to a leaf, they're just fat, mushed dough. Angry tears started to prick at the corners of his eyes at his failure.

"Two." Stan and Kenny looked over to see Kyle gritting his teeth in frustration. Neither boy showed any signs of disappointment on their face once their eyes trailed to what Kyle had made.

"One." The noirette placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Zero." A second wave of the shrill ring erupted throughout the classroom. This time only a few children groaned, and others cheered at their success. Kyle, Stan, and Kenny hadn't uttered a word to each other, neither boy sure what to say. Stan frowned when he saw a tear trail down Kyle's face, the redhead's mouth began to move, but his voice was a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

Mrs. Wayford clapped her hands for her classes attention, she spoke once the children calmed down. "Alright, time to see who made the best with their Play-doh. I'm going to start with Craig and Tweek first then work my way down the table."

Craig Tucker and Tweek Tweak made what appeared to be some sort of animal. It was mixed with brown, orange, yellow, and blue. On top of it's head was an odd shaped blue hat, the tip a yellow ball. Mrs. Wayford mustered up a small smile, her best guess was that the two tried to make Craig's pet guinea pig. "U-umm very creative you two, but you should've made something that went well with the colors you had chosen. I'm sorry but you two didn't win."

She walked down the table to the next pair. Tweek twitched and Craig flipped the lady off behind her back. Up next were Wendy Testaburger, Bebe Stevens, and Nichole Foster; the three girls made two flowers. One was purple with yellow petals, and the second one was the opposite of the other, yellow with purple petals. Mrs. Wayford smiled a real smile at their work. "Nice job you three, they're beautiful. But I'm afraid flowers aren't really that interesting so I'll give you three extra credit instead."

The three girls looked to each other then smiled in agreement, it was better than nothing. Next up was Cartman, a proud smirk etched on his face. Mrs. Wayford observed the three donuts he made. One doughnut was brown with green sprinkles, the other was yellow with brown dotted sprinkles, and the last one was orange with both brown and yellow sprinkles.

"They look good don't they?" Cartman bragged.

The blonde haired teacher shook her head in amusement. "They are very beautiful Eric," she admitted- making Cartman's smirk bigger. "But you didn't use all of your Play-doh so I'll give you extra credit as well."

Cartman blinked in confusion. He looked to each of his containers with wide eyes. Only one of them held some clay in it. "Wait! It's only a little bit, I can add it real quick."

"Sorry but you should've done that when I gave you all the extra thirty seconds." Cartman crossed his arms with a pout, Wendy and Bebe giggling at the defeated boy.

Kyle's group was next. Mrs. Wayford looked at their progress with an approved smile, but changed into a sympathetic one when she saw the remaining green clay left. "Aww too bad, you three were so close. Instead I'll give you all double extra points for what you've made thus far." She walked to the next group.

Stan and Kenny approved with a nod but Kyle seemed as if he didn't, his ushanka shadowing his eyes from their view. "Kyle?" Stan called hesitantly. The redhead wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve with a sniffle. He looked up and faced his two friends with glossy eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologized again in a shaky voice.

His super best friend shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. "It's okay dude, we still got something in the end to make up for our hard work." Stan looked to Kenny, the boy nodding his head in agreement. A small smile ghosted it's way to Kyle's lips, he looked down at his hands finding them clutching the green Play-doh. His smile changed into a frown, releasing his grip on the soft material. "But she said that we were so close, if I had of-"

"Don't blame yourself, we aren't mad at you," Stan interrupted, sincere. "If anything you should be proud, both you and Kenny. The two of you took action once you saw that we were in a tough spot." Kyle knew what Stan was hinting at, he felt that he didn't do anything until Kyle himself and Kenny figured out what to do.

"Stan, we all did good. Including you," Kyle told him. Stan smiled, raising his hand for a high-five. Kyle smiled as well, a genuine one as both his and Stan's hand briefly met one another, emitting a loud "smack". The two gave Kenny one also.

Cartman saw this and rolled his eyes. "You three are losers," he mumbled. Kenny heard it since he was next to the chubby boy and he turned to him with narrowed eyes. Cartman wasn't intimidated by the look of disapproval thus he provoked him further. "What, are you mad po' boy?"

Kyle glared at the laughing brunette, never seeing why the three of them hung out with a butthole like him. Kenny said something, but Kyle of course couldn't interpret what the boy said, however no words were needed when Kenny suddenly jiggled Cartman's stomach in his chair. "Kenny what the- stop it!" The boy cried, but Kenny ignored the order.

The whole class exploded with laughter at the two boys, mainly at Cartman. "Eww look at it wiggle," Wendy pointed in disgust before laughing again.

Mrs. Wayford quickly made her way over to the two disruptive children to break them apart. "Come on you two, stop harassing each other." She gently pulled Kenny away from Cartman, the bigger boy's puffy cheeks tinged pink from embarrassment.

"Kenny you suck! I hate you!" Cartman whined although he didn't mean it. Kenny just laughed in response.

Mrs. Wayford then announced the winners, they were Clyde Donovan, Token Black, and Leopold Stotch. The three of them made an ice cream sandwich.

***After school***

The school bell erupted within the halls that early afternoon. Buses began to fill with children as they exited the building, all happy and eager to go home or hang out with their friends. Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman all boarded the same bus driven by the grouchiest women alive, Ms. Crabtree. Kyle and Stan sat together whereas Kenny sat with Heidi Turner. Cartman was still mad at Kenny from earlier to let the boy sit with him.

"So Kyle," Stan began, drowning out Ms. Crabtree's monstrous voice telling someone to sit down. "Got any plans for today?"

Kyle thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. "Nope," he answered simply.

Stan smiled at his reply. "Wanna hang out later?" He offered.

Kyle wasted no time nodding. "But I gotta ask my mom first." Stan nodded in understanding then the two talked about whatever that came to mind.

Three minutes later, they stopped at the edge of the poor side of South Park. Kenny walked down the aisle, Stan and Kyle bidding him goodbye as Ms. Crabtree rushed Kenny off of the bus. Due to her lack of patience, she drove off once he only had one foot out of the bus. The poor boy (No pun intended) fell onto the hard asphalt with a sickening thud. Blood rapidly oozed from his head as he laid there unmoving.

Kyle and Stan witnessed the unfortunate fall along with a few other children, the two boys standing in their seat as they drove away from their dying friend. Kyle was petrified when he and Stan first witnessed the boy's death before their eyes, it was back in Preschool. It was two days later that Kenny was seen again, alive and well.

"Oh my God, you killed Kenny!" Stan blurted out.

"You bastard!" Kyle shouted.

Abruptly, the bus came to a halt after the two boys' outburst. They almost fell out of their seat. "What did you just say?!" Ms. Crabtree demanded angrily, her attention to the back of the bus as she glared at the remaining children, unsure of the culprit.

"Umm I said I have a blister?" Kyle said meekly.

Ms. Crabtree instantly lost her glare. "Oh, don't say that out loud. No one wants to hear that," and with that the bus moved again. Stan stifled a laugh behind his hand causing Kyle to lightly nudge his arm.

After two more stops, Kyle's and Stan's came up. "You take care of that blister ya hear," Kyle heard Ms. Crabtree say before she drove off. Stan laughed, Kyle couldn't help but blush at what the grouchy lady told him.

"Yeah yeah keep laughin'. Anyway what time can I come over?" He inquired.

Stan stopped laughing to answer Kyle's question. "How about as soon as you ask your mom?" He suggested with a playful smile.

Kyle smiled as well and nodded. The two walked until Stan's house came up no less than five minutes later, they bid each other see you later's as Kyle continued on to his own home.

The redhead reached his house three minutes later, spotting his mother's car in the driveway. He walked up to the front door and twisted the doorknob, but it didn't open. The door was locked.  _"Huh? Why's it locked?"_  He thought in confusion. He knocked on the door a few times to let his mother know of his arrival then waited.

Five seconds passed, then ten, then fifteen. Yet his mother still hadn't come opened the door.  _"She is here right? Her car is still in the driveway."_ Kyle knocked once more, but a bit harder. He began to worry as the inside of the house remained quiet, silent of any oncoming footsteps.

"Mom?!" He called out as he pounded on the door, urgency clear in his voice. This was the first time his mother had ever done something so careless, she always left the door unlocked as she sat in the living room, awaiting his return home. She picked up Ike first then went to work once their father came home, which was around the evening.

A gust of harsh wind blew past Kyle, blowing his ushanka's flaps haphazardly in the sudden strong current of cold air. A strong chill made it's way through his body, and he tugged his hat down to keep it from flying away. The wind dimmed some after a second or two, but still provided unnecessary cold air around him.

Kyle looked around him, his eyes half-lidded thanks to the bitter cold. He wasn't sure if the wind was playing tricks on him or if it was his eyes when he caught a glimpse of a black figure across the street from him. As soon as he saw it, the mysterious silhouette disappeared from his sight.  _"The heck was that?"_ He thought uneasily. Another powerful gust of wind struck him only to be completely calm shortly afterwards.

The young boy was a shivering mess at this moment. He hugged his torso to try to warm himself even if only slightly. Through cold ears, Kyle picked up the sound of a door being opened. He turned his attention back to his house, the front door partly ajar. Kyle saw that the inside was dark, he couldn't even see his mother as she slowly continued to open the door some more.

"M-mom?" He addressed tentatively, but he received no reply. Once the door was fully open, his mother stood eerily before him, the dark behind her only adding to the unsettling atmosphere.  _"Something is obliviously not right here,"_ Kyle thought to himself. A tense silence reigned over the two, Kyle unsure whether to step foot in his own home or not.

Sheila slightly moved out of the doorway. "Come inside Kyle, you don't want to catch a cold now do you?" Her calm, sinister Jersey accent sent extra chills through Kyle's body, overpowering the bone-chilling cold.

He made no attempt to do so, his freezing body warning him not to inch any closer towards the house. Through chattering teeth, Kyle asked this instead, "Mom, w-what's g-going on?" He once again didn't receive a reply, the woman walking away into the darkness. Kyle had the urge to run over to Stan's house and tell him of this situation, but something told him not to. It was another warning.

 _"I'll try and call him then,"_ he concluded. He slowly entered the house, still hugging his body. Once his father returned home he would surely tell him of his mother's strange behavior as well. As soon as he was all the way in, the door slammed shut behind him, coating the area around him in pitch blackness. Kyle's heart jumped along with his body, little light from the light grey clouds covering the sky came from the living room curtains. He tried to adjust his eyes in the dark, but he still couldn't see much.

"M-mom?!" He called out once again, the woman didn't answer to which Kyle should've expected.

He took a cautious step forward, hugging his body tighter as he suddenly bumped into something- no  _someone_. Kyle froze, his heart racing madly inside his chest. He could clearly hear his pulse in his ears through the deafening silence of the house. "Kyle," he heard the familiar voice say right in front of him, her voice still a monotone. He looked up, glowing pupil-less dark green eyes meeting his unseen lime-green ones. He felt paralyzed by the stare, it was as if she was looking into his very soul.

_"H-her eyes..."_

"Do not tell your father of this. Understand?" She warned. Kyle wasn't stupid enough to challenge the threat, this wasn't his mother. Whatever possessing her would carry it out. So Kyle nodded, his answer approved by his abnormal mother. "Good. Say nothing and no harm will come to your family."

 _"What?!"_  Kyle's eyes widened, only for them to quickly close shut when light suddenly intruded the house. His mother retreated upstairs. Kyle sank to his knees in shock, hugging his torso even tighter as tears started trailing down his cheeks he didn't know were prickling at his still closed eyes.

_"J-just what...happened? Mom...what happened to you...?"_

Kyle kept his word once his father came home, only greeting the man as usual. The warning look his mother gave him kept him from spilling. Kyle found the reason of his little brother's absence from his father, turned out his mother called the school and told them that she couldn't pick him up and that his father would get him in her place around six. Preschool released children at  **1** **:30 p.m,** that meant poor Ike had to sit in school for over four hours.

After the strange event with his mother, the woman hadn't spoken to him for the next three days. His father didn't even question the lack of interaction between them, he had acted as if it were normal for a parent not to acknowledge their child. Kyle also didn't tell Stan of the unusual occurrence, even when the boy asked the next day of his whereabouts.

* * *

Kyle sighed, wiping the tears away that fell during his recollection. Every now and then only Kyle alone would receive the empty look from his mother, never knowing why.  _"She doesn't hate me...does she?"_ It was a question he knew would be left unanswered, but he would one day confront his mother about it.

He also had questions about the shadow he saw that day as well.  _"Did I actually see it or was the wind playing tricks on me?"_ Something told him that he indeed saw the mysterious entity. If the wind hadn't of been so strong, Kyle would've had a different sensation of chills course through him.  _"But I haven't seen again it since then though..."_

Another sigh escaped through his lips, shoving the incident to the back of his mind. His mother was his main concern. Kyle pushed Stan's door open and entered the room, a feeling of anxiety stirred up within him almost instantly. Something felt off, however nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Stan was asleep in his bed. Although nothing seemed wrong with the room, Kyle couldn't shake the feeling out of him.

 _"It's probably nothing, I'm just shaken up from...,"_ he couldn't even bring himself to finish the thought. He detested the fact that his mother changed out of the blue.

But little did Kyle know that not only had his mother changed, but the town was changing also. But ever so slowly. The darkness from every corner was leisurely making it's way to the small town, ready to engulf it as a whole. Leaving not one single person alive nor sane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: PLEASE READ. Okay I know that this was going to be a Stenny fic and trust me it still is, but since it's a story now that won't happen until whenever. Also pairings will take time to happen so yeah that's it. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	3. Knowing the truth comes with consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Now my undivided attention is to this fic. Please enjoy)

_August 8th- Kyle_

A rustling sound stirred Kyle from his slumber, the evening long gone. The window was partly open, allowing the unwanted night air to enter into the room as it blew the curtains in it's wake. Every now and then little droplets of snow would saunter down from the few clouds occupying the night sky. A full moon shined brightly above the small town. It was a very peaceful night, it's repose nature a comfortable atmosphere to sleep in.

Kyle groaned when he heard the sound of movement above him once more from his spot on the floor, laying on the Marsh's spare futon by Stan's nightstand. The earlier events left Kyle beyond exhausted, and confused. The redhead tossed onto his right side, trying to get comfortable. But the cool air from the outside distracted him from doing so, a few droplets of snow flew into the room thanks to the gentle breeze. "Really...," Kyle groaned again, rolling back onto his back, and slowly opening his still weary eyes.

He blinked a few times, first trying to clear his blurry vision. It proved fruitless, making his eyes heavier with sleep.  _"Why the heck is it so cold in here?"_  He thought with a shiver, not recalling opening the window and why would he? One would be a fool to even think about letting South Park's infamous weather into their home.

The tired boy sat up with the covers accompanying him. He used the sheets to wipe at his eyes. Once he deemed his vision clear, he stopped and looked around Stan's room. If it weren't for the moonlight shinning in through the opened window, the area around the two boys would be surrounded in nothing but darkness.  _"Wait,"_  Kyle looked to his left. As he suspected the nightlight he plugged in before he went to bed was off.  _"It's not dead is it?"_

Kyle sighed in annoyance as he got up from his makeshift bed, positioning the covers over his shoulders, warming him to some extent. He ambled over to the window, the innocent and gentle breeze seeping through Kyle's covers once he's in front of it. Fighting the urge to shield himself against the freezing cold, he quickly closed the window, allowing only a few more droplets of snow to travel into the room.

Kyle decided to gaze outside. He quickly became captivated by the bright moon overhead, the few clouds and the falling snow adding to the night's beauty. _"Wow, never knew the night could look this beautiful before,"_  Kyle thought, amazed. A smile made it's way to his lips as he continued to stare in awe out of the window, mainly at the moon that was easing his body and mind.  _"Wish Stan was up to see this,"_  he thought sadly.

But shortly after a feeling of unease replaced the moon's enchanted spell on the boy. Something sinister began to float about in the air around him. Kyle's eyes tentatively scanned outside for the source. Directly across the street from the Marsh's house stood a silhouette of a male. Somehow, the bright moon couldn't reveal the person's identity.

 _"Who is that?"_  Something was definitely off about the man, he gave off all kinds of bad vibes. Although Kyle couldn't tell if the person was looking straight up at him or not, it felt as if the two had locked eyes suddenly. Kyle didn't like the feeling coursing through him one bit, and he broke eye contact.  _"I-I'd better get to back to bed,"_  he thought nervously. He started to close the curtains, only halfway through when he glanced back at the figure. Regret hit him instantly. His grip on the curtains loosened, his eyes slowly widened in fear, and his body began to tremble.

The mystery male's mouth was expanding. Bit by bit the man's white teeth revealed themselves, sharp and animal-like. It was a Cheshire-like smile that made the hairs on Kyle's neck stand on end. He was no human. The dark being's lips started to move, slowly mouthing each syllable that made the child fear for his life.

"I. Found. You."

Kyle found his strength and quickly closed the curtains, his breathing rigid and his body shaking heavily.  _"W-wha...,"_  even his brain couldn't fathom what had just happened, he couldn't form coherent words in his frightened state. His entire being was in stunned shocked.

He dropped to his knees, the covers hugging his unsteady body as if it were going to protect him from the monster outside the window. Sleep was no longer in his system, he was too afraid to even close his eyes for a second. Scared that the sinister smile would greet him behind his eyelids. He hugged the covers tightly around his body, clutching the fabric with still shaking hands.

***Flashback***

Kyle was trying to do his math homework, his mind wandering back to his mother's odd transformation from time to time, distracting him from his task at hand. What was the cause of her change? He always thought mid-problem, why did she change? Soon after, he deemed those questions pointless, and his mind focused back on his homework. He finished three minutes later.

Kyle's stomach took that opportunity to announce that he should eat, the dark orange sky outside indicating it was being replaced by nightfall. He placed his worksheet back into his binder, then into his book bag. Before he left the room, however he looked to his sleeping friend.

Stan's skin was still pale, and his breathing was shallow. Kyle placed a hand on his friend's forehead, the heat radiating from Stan's body warming his cold hand as if he were standing in front of a fireplace. As his hand lingered on Stan's forehead, Kyle remembered side-hugging Stan in fear that night of their sleepover. He would never forget the close-body encounter they shared.

The feel of Stan's heartbeat that was racing just as fast Kyle's, and their shaking body's quivering in sync. It felt...

Stan squirmed a little under Kyle's touch, disrupting his thoughts. Kyle pulled his hand away, feeling his cheeks were a bright pink thanks to his brief recollection of their sleepover. He looked down at his hand, still feeling the lingering heat on his palm.

"Hurry up and get better Stan, it's boring without you keeping me company," Kyle whispered with a frown.

The redhead left the room and walked downstairs, spotting a piece of paper on the glass table in the living room.  _"Mrs. Marsh must've left a note,"_  he walked over to the white paper and it was indeed a note. He took the sheet in one hand and read what Stan's mother wrote before she departed for work.

_"We have leftover spaghetti and meatballs from yesterday in the fridge. Whenever Stan wakes up, please give him the soup that I left in a bowl. Remember we keep the extra mattress in the hall closet, and please give Stan some medicine before bed. Randy should be home by midnight and I'll return by morning. Also Shelly should be home before it gets too dark from a friend's house."_

_P.S- Please plug in Stan's nightlight before going to bed._

_You two stay safe,_

_Sharon_

_"Oh yeah, I forgot Stan has a nightlight,"_  Kyle chuckled lightly at the thought. He balled up the note, then walked into the kitchen. He threw the paper into the trashcan and headed towards the refrigerator. Inside was a carton of eggs, a carton of milk, a pitcher of tea on the top and second shelves, and various condiments on the left shelf. A large pot along with a bowl covered in plastic wrap was on the bottom shelf.

The little redhead moved the bowl to the side to grab the pot, setting the slightly heavy container on the counter then grabbing a bowl and a ladle from the dishwasher. He only poured the noodles covered in sauce into the bowl, being careful not to get any meatballs mixed in. Once he's done, he returned the pot back to it's original spot then dropped the ladle into the sink.

Next he put the bowl into the microwave, setting it to two minutes. After that he grabbed a cup from the cupboards and filled it with water. When the microwave dinged, signaling his food was ready, he grabbed a fork then took both his bowl and cup to the couch. He placed the cup on the glass table and the bowl onto his lap. The warmth emitting from under the bowl felt comfortable.

 _"Now let's see what's on t.v."_  Kyle grabbed the remote on the table and turned the television on. Since it was the weekday no shows piqued his interest as he switched to channel after channel so he turned the t.v off. " _Wish it was Friday, there's always something to watch on the weekends,"_  he thought as he ate.  _"Wait,"_  he paused with the fork held in the air.  _"I can watch a movie!"_

At that thought, his mind backtracked to the short film he and Stan watched during their sleepover.  _"Darkness,"_  Kyle remembered the simple title as clear as glass. He set his fork back into the bowl of spaghetti and placed it down on the table. He made his way over to the numerous movies the Marsh's had stacked under the t.v stand.

 _"I'll never understand how they have this many movies,"_  he thought in amusement. Kyle's best estimate as to how many movies his own family had was no less then ten, but definitely no more than fifty. He searched for only one movie in particular, all he had to do was locate the black, wordless case amongst the others. He narrowed down his hunt for the case to looking at black cases only, to ease his attempt at finding it. It was a smart method but it proved futile after going through the few black cases that were there.

After a minutes search, he hadn't found the movie 'Darkness'. _"Why isn't it here?"_  He scanned over the black cases again, to make sure he didn't overlook it. Yet he still didn't see the  _wordless_ , black case.

"No way," he mumbled to himself, disbelief clear in his voice. "I know for a fact me and Stan watched that movie so why isn't it- Ngh!"

A sudden stinging pain erupted at his temple, his brain beginning to throb in his skull. He clutched his head with both hands, eyes and teeth clenching shut as the agonizing pain refused to diminish from his head. It even pained him to think.

**"REMEMBER..."**

_"Eh?"_  Kyle froze, eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. That voice, it wasn't his. It was gentle and sweet, a boy's voice that spoke to him inside his mind.

**"REMEMBER KYLE BROFLOVSKI. REMEMBER WHAT TRULY HAPPENED THAT NIGHT."**

"R-remember?" Kyle repeated, not understanding what the boy was telling him.

In the blink of an eye, Kyle's lime-green eyes lost their shine, and his pupils faded from his orbs. His arms dropped down to his sides and laid limp beside his stiff figure. His back rested against the table as his head traveled downward, dull eyes staring at his lap.

Kyle was forced to recall what happened that night of the sleepover.

What  _truly_  happened.

* * *

_June 10th_

_"Aww but mooom," Kyle heard Stan whine in protest._

_"No buts Stan," his mother objected sternly. "You two are only 6 years old and I'm not going to leave you boys here by yourselves."_

_"But it's our first sleepoveeeeer," Stan whined again._

_Kyle couldn't help but laugh from his position on Stan's bed, the redhead kind of figured Mrs. Marsh wouldn't let them have their sleepover without a guardian accompanying them. But it didn't bother him like it did to his friend. Kyle was clad in his pajamas and orange socks, his pajamas were a two piece set colored a dark blue, the designs had the initials of Terrance and Phillip on them._

_Kyle sat in the room in silence as he waited for Stan to stop complaining. The little noirette was stubborn and he came back into his room a few minutes later. Stan's pajamas were a two piece also and he wore white socks, his shirt was turquoise with small versions of Terrance and Phillip in the center and his pants were the same color. Stan's face clearly showed that he was irritated, Kyle knew that much. Stan closed his door with an annoyed huff and crossed his arms, neither boy said a word to each other as an awkward silence filled the room._

_"Cheer up dude," Kyle insisted with a small smile. "We can still have fun with your family here."_

_Stan huffed once again, directing his annoyed glare at Kyle. "I get that but it's our first sleepover. I thought they'd leave the house to us for just one night. It's not like someone's gonna rob us or anything." Just the thought alone made Kyle frown, Stan's probably right but Mrs. Marsh wasn't willing to take the risk._

_"Look your mom is just looking out for us," Kyle reasoned. "But that shouldn't stop us from still having fun should it?"_

_Stan pouted for a moment then sighed in defeat, lowering his arms and losing his look of displeasure but traces still remained on his face. "No but what are we gonna do? I don't have a t.v in here and all I have are books and some toys." He walked over to his toy box and opened it, inside were various toys. A few were broken but were still usable. Kyle got up from the bed to join Stan by the brown box. Kyle looked inside and something caught his eyes almost immediately._

_"Dude," he snickered. He reached inside the box and pulled out a pink haired doll amongst the race cars, dinosaurs, and other boy toys. "Why do you have a doll?" Kyle inspected the figurine with puffed cheeks, it was plastic wearing a pink cheerleader's outfit. Around it's waste were matching pompoms with bits of silver. Stan glanced at the doll and blushed, he took the girly toy from Kyle's hand and the redhead released his laughter._

_"S-shut up butthole, this isn't mine and I don't know how it got in here." Stan glared at the smiling doll, his cheeks still pink in embarrassment. He threw it offhandedly, the plastic cheerleader landing in front of his bookshelf, hitting the wood in the process. It's head flew off from the hard impact and landed inside the bottom shelf._

_Kyle sighed after his laughing fit, his throat and stomach slightly sore from the constant strain. "You think it's Shelly's? Cuz I don't," he teased making himself snicker again. Stan briefly glared at him before rummaging through his toy box for something. A second or two later the noirette pulled out a mini basketball. He threw it at the red haired jokster and laughed in turn at Kyle's stunned look._

_"Oh so that's how you wanna play, eh?" Kyle smiled playfully at his friend as he grabbed the small basketball, and threw it back at the laughing noriette, hitting his nose._

_"Hah!" Kyle cheered in mock triumph._

_Stan lightly rubbed his nose as he glared lightheartedly at the redhead, he stopped rubbing to look back inside his toy box. He later pulled out a mini soccer ball and tossed it to Kyle who caught it with a raised eyebrow._

_"Let's have a contest," Stan declared. "Whoever catches their own ball without dropping it even once wins."_

_Kyle smirked at the challenge. "You're on, but what does the winner get?"_

_Stan tapped his chin as he thought. "How about the winner gets to order the loser around for a week?" Kyle nodded in agreement thus the two commenced their ball catching competition._

_The two boys didn't play fair, thanks to Stan since he started it. He would tell a joke every now and then to get Kyle to laugh and lose his focus on his soccer ball, but Kyle didn't give in. The redhead himself tried to distract Stan by getting the noirette to look elsewhere but at his basketball, Kyle almost got him with the spider one. The two continued their unjust contest until Stan's mother called them down for dinner five minutes later. They both dropped their respective sports balls and they landed on their face before hitting the floor._

_"Aww why mom," Stan whined, eyeing his basketball in defeat._

_"I dropped mine too so I guess we're even," Kyle said with a shrug. They both left their toys on the floor as they got up and left the room._

_"Wanna continue when get done eating?" Stan asked._

_"Sure but this time let's see who can catch their ball ten times before the other," Kyle proposed as they walked down the stairs._

_Stan smiled at the idea." Okay."_

_Kyle and Stan joined the rest of the Marsh's at the dining table for pizza and wings._

***After Dinner***

_After everyone was done eating, Sharon suggested they watched a movie._

_The group of five gathered in the living room: Kyle, Stan, and Shelly sat on the couch whereas Sharon and Randy sat in the armchairs on the left and right side of the couch. The television was on but the screen was black with a box moving in every corner every three seconds._

_"Can I pick the movie?" Stan asked eagerly. Not waiting for a response, he was about to get up and pick out a movie anyway, but his mother stopped him._

_"Let Kyle pick, he is a guess after all," she said. Stan sat back with a pout, and Kyle got up from his spot on the couch._

_"Don't pick out a kids movie turd," he heard Shelly say but he ignored her. He wasn't going to do that anyway. Once near the t.v, he got down on his knees in front of the stand for the movies. His eyes scanned all of the various cases, unsure of which film he wanted them all to watch. "Might as well pick at random," he concluded._

_He closed his eyes and stuck out his hand, feeling each case for a moment, and allowing his hands to be his eyes. He stopped on one soon after, then pulled it out with his eyes still closed. "The heck's taking you so long?" Shelly complained._

_"Now now Shelly, give him time," Sharon told her. Shelly crossed her arms and sat back on the couch, mumbling under her breath._

_Kyle opened his eyes to look at the DVD he picked out, smiling at his choice. "I got one," he took the disc out of the case, put it inside the DVD player, and pushed the play button. He placed the case on the floor by the t.v and walked back to his spot on the sofa beside Stan as the movie began to play._

_"What movie did you put in?" Stan asked. Randy got up to turn the living room lights off._

_"You'll see," Kyle simply answered with a sly smile. The group watched an action film Kyle picked out in comfortable silence with the occasional chatter here and there._

_About thirty minutes into the movie, Stan's family called it a night. "Are you two going to stay up?" Sharon asked before yawning, Randy and Shelly bid them goodnight as they went upstairs for bed._

_Stan nodded, his eyes glued to the t.v. "Yeah, it's still our sleepover."_

_Sharon shook her head with a small smile. "Okay but don't stay up too late, go straight to bed once the movie ends. Goodnight boys."_

_"Okay, goodnight mom."_

_"Goodnight Mrs. Marsh." Satisfied with the answers Sharon ruffled their hair before going to bed herself. The two boys chuckled as they fixed their hair, although Kyle didn't need to do anything to his afro. It wasn't that badly tousled._

_Roughly around ten minutes into the movie, the two boys found themselves growing sleepy. Kyle fought to keep his eyes open, struggling to still his head from drooping to the side. Stan however lost the battle, his head resting on the arm of the couch with his eyes closed._

_"No just a few...more...minutes," Kyle willed himself but alas sleep overpowered him and his eyes slid closed._

_But in that instant, a shrill scream erupted from the television, startling both boys awake. "H-huh...," the tired boys looked to the t.v with half-lidded eyes. What they saw caused them to open their eyes all the way, sleep quickly vanishing from their system._

_On the screen showed an entirely different scene from the movie they were originally watching, more like no scene at all. The screen was black with dark red liquid trailing down like rain in the background, covering the living room in complete darkness with a faint red hue. A low hum began to emit from the t.v, casting an eerie feel around it._

_"K-Kyle what's going on?" Stan asked anxiously._

_"I-I don't know, it's your movie," Kyle answered in equal nervousness._

_Before either boy could ponder on the strange event that happened so suddenly, the humming from the t.v began to get louder, it's deep vibrations going throughout the house. Kyle and Stan covered their ears with clenched eyes at the rumbling buzz. It lasted a few more seconds until it stopped completely. Kyle was the first to lower his arms, hesitantly opening his eyes and finding the screen still black with raining blood._

_"What the heck's going on?" He whispered. He glanced over at Stan. The boy still had his hands over his ears, but his eyes wide in panic._

_"Stan the sound stopped so you can...Wait...what's that smell?" A metallic scent filled the air around them. It was faint at first but it began to get stronger the more Kyle tried to decipher what the smell could be._

_Suddenly Kyle's eyes widened in horror. Streams of blood were leaking out from in between Stan's fingers, the boy shaking as his red liquid trailed down to either his sleeves or onto the couch._

_Kyle tried to come to his aid, but he found himself unable to move. "What?! Why can't I move?!" He thought in shock. He could move his arms and legs, but he couldn't leave his spot from the couch._

_"K...Kyle," Stan whimpered, sounding as if he were in pain as the blood continued to flow from his ears._

_Kyle stretched out his left hand to his shaken friend, it proved fruitless for they were on opposite ends of the couch. "Stan!"_

_"Kyle...I can't...hear anything." Kyle froze, his left hand slowly descending to the cushion. "T-the ringing...won't stop. Please...m-make it stop...Kyle." Tears began to well up in Kyle's eyes, his friend was suffering right beside him yet he couldn't do a thing to help him._

_"Why hasn't anyone came down here yet?!" The redhead thought, both in fear and anger. He gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "Surely they heard the loud scream and the humming sound." Kyle pushed the thought aside, he's the only one down here with Stan so he had to do something. "But what can I do? I can't move!"_

_As if someone heard Kyle's troubled thoughts, a faint glow of red light from the t.v slightly brightened the room. The blood slowly took the form of words in the middle of the black screen._

_Kyle looked to the screen with defeated, glossy eyes._

**"THE DARKNESS HUNGERS"**

_"W-what?" Kyle was gradually losing his will to stay strong. "This sleepover is a nightmare," he thought bitterly._

_He felt the tears roll down his cheeks as his eyes lost their color, lost their spark. What's going to happen to them? To Stan? Will he lose his ability to hear? Will they still be alive after tonight? Question after question ran through Kyle's numbing mind, the swirling words on the screen however gave him a change of thought._

_After a few seconds, a new set of words found their way to the screen._

**"Stay Strong Kyle. Do Not Let The Darkness Win."**

_Was what the red words said. "What?" Kyle thought. Bit by bit his eyes regained their color through the semi-darkness of the living room. The words on the screen began to distort and change in color, as did the rain. The blood red became a light green._

_Kyle watched in growing confusion as the new set of words began to fill him with new found energy, the fear and worry slowly evaporating from his body._

**"You Have The Power To Save Him Kyle Broflovski. Use It Before It's To Late."**

_"I...have the power?" Kyle felt a light tingle in his eyes all of a sudden, it wasn't painful nor uncomfortable. It felt..._

_"Relaxing," he thought. But not just relaxation, the feeling of familiarity washed over him as well, but from where had this sentiment came from? When did he succumb to this power the television was informing him of?_

_"I feel...that I can do something. That I can help Stan and do more!"_

_The light in Kyle's eyes began to highlight his lime-green orbs, their color changing to a neon green. A burst of power flowed through Kyle's body, a power that would end Stan's suffering and the evil that dared to threaten both him and his friend ever again._

* * *

Color returned to Kyle's eyes along with his conscious. He rapidly blinked a few times then shook his head to clear the dizziness. _"W-what was that? Do I really...have some kind of power within me?"_  Kyle winced, feeling a dull ache in the back of his neck. He slowly lifted an arm to rub his cramp.

While doing so, he gradually lifted his head to find himself still in the living room. The orange sky now a dark blue. The black cases of the DVD's lay scattered about in front of him from his failed search of the supposed movie he and Stan watched on their first sleepover.

 _"If...we didn't watch the movie then how come I had that dream before?"_  He wasn't sure what to believe at this moment, one could be the truth and the other could be a lie. The voice he heard before blacking out couldn't have been deceiving him, something about the boy's tone told him that he was only trying to help him.  _"But why? Just who was he?"_  Although he felt familiarity in this "power" of his during his recollection, he felt no such of thing towards the boy he heard in his head.

Kyle sighed in exhaustion as he ceased soothing his neck, the pain now nothing more than a faint ache. He wondered if he would hear the voice again, or if Kyle himself could communicate with the boy with his power. _"I have a lot of questions. About my powers, about him showing up out of nowhere, and about the night of our sleepover. Hopefully he can answer them all if I ever hear him again."_

Kyle crawled over to the scattered DVD's and placed them back in their rightful place. Once done he looked to his bowl sat on the glass table.  _"Crap, it's probably cold now,"_  he got up using the table for support until he regained his balance. He grabbed both his bowl of spaghetti and cup of water, the bowl itself indicating that his dinner was indeed cold.  _"Oh well, I'm not hungry anymore anyway."_

He walked into the kitchen and dumped his food into the trashcan, placing the bowl and fork into the sink. He then poured the water out from the cup before dropping it into the sink as well.  _"Wonder what time it is, I hope it's not too late,"_  he thought curiously as he walked out of the kitchen. He turned the living room lights off as he made his way to Stan's room, eager to get some much needed shuteye.

***?***

Perched atop of a cliff that overlooked the small town of South Park stood a lone being. The moon that covered the area with it's exquisite light failed to show the figure's hidden identity, the blackness keeping the being concealed wasn't going to let the light overpower the evil that was within him.

 _"You told me he was in this town and that he will awaken soon,"_  the mystery being recalled.

He knew never to doubt his Master's prophecies, they were always correct. However over many moons had passed since his Master last predicted that a boy would awaken with powers akin to their own in a small town of Colorado. For years now, the man came to this very spot every night to sense the darkness from within the town. But he felt no disturbance from the place as the years passed, growing skeptical of his Master's sense of prediction telling.

Abruptly, a strong gust of wind picked up, blowing the snow in one direction. An invisible smile graced the man's unseen lips as he looked to where the wind came from. Shortly after a brief green glow erupted inside the town.

 _"Sorry I doubted you Master,"_  the individual thought with a shake of his head.

In that instant, he was gone. Not a trace of his footprints were embedded into the snow where he once stood seconds ago.

The wind and the snow returned to their original calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hoped you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	4. Childish Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter focuses on Stan and an OC of mine. Also Happy Birthday Stan!
> 
> Two more thing before you read, there are two different meanings for "dark" and "Dark":
> 
> 1\. This "dark" means your average darkness, nothing special about it.
> 
> And this "Dark" means the attribute of magic and the Beings of Darkness.
> 
> 2\. Warning: A lot of mentions of blood will be in this chapter
> 
> Please enjoy)

Millions of white petals fluttered about in the strong warm wind. The sky a beautiful blue filled with not a single cloud in it's vicinity. The sun overhead shined it's warm rays down to the earth, providing the relaxing humidity. An ocean as clear as crystal expanded far beyond to the other side of the world, the wind would occasionally cause a ripple to form onto it's transparent surface. Many milky white petals would either drift about on the surface of the ocean or the wind would blow them across it, the sunlight reflecting off of both the petals and the ocean, and highlighting their appeal.

One big tree was planted atop of a hill overlooking the exquisite sea, the large plant's petals a radiant white due to the sunlight. Even though over millions of it's leaves were being blown everywhere, the tree remained full of not a single leaf gone. It was as if the tree always bloomed another set of it's alluring leaves every second the wind blew them off of their branches.

Sat on the smooth green grass underneath the large tree was a little boy with black hair, his sapphire eyes soaking in every detail of the nature around him. Over a dozen of the tree's leaves lay scattered around him, but another strong gust of wind ruined the personal bed for him, yet he didn't mind. His black bangs swayed in the current of the wind, and he closed his eyes, basking in the peaceful breeze and placing his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the trunk, and propped a leg over the other as he got comfortable.

After what felt like hours, Stan opened his eyes. He was still in his dream haven however something felt off. It was quiet, too quiet.

Skeptical, Stan sat up and glanced around- there was no strong wind, no flying petals, and no tranquil feeling lingering in the air. Just an eerie silence. Stan stood on his feet, dusting the imaginary dirt off his pajama pants.

Once done he looked up at the tree, even the source of this beautiful place lost it's brilliance to the unknown. Stan frowned, placing a hand on the trunk, it's wood cold as ice.  _"I'm sorry this happened to you,"_ he felt out of place for apologizing to a tree, but it was a living thing. For it undergo a negative change when it did nothing wrong made Stan want to give it his condolences, it was the least he could do.

He walked out from under the tree and eyed the still water far under him. He could sense that even the white petals below had lost their shine. The sun was nowhere to be seen and the sky looked a dull, fading blue. The once filled with life world around him was now nothing more than a lifeless scenery. Stan's frown deepened as he glanced all around him at the poor state of the landscape, not a trace of the area's beauty remained.

In the blink of an eye, Stan's surroundings changed all together. All of the color quickly vanished, everything was now grey. The water, the petals, the grass, the tree, and the sky. Everything except Stan.

The noirette began to panic, his once divine dream was suddenly becoming a nightmare. He hugged his right arm as he looked around again, near the edge of the blank ocean stood a boy around his age. Stan squinted his eyes at the child, he wasn't sure if the boy's black hair and clothing were apart of the colorless background or not.

Stan became curious and wanted to get a closure look at them. The sapphire-eyed boy slid down the hill on his butt, trying hard not to cry out in glee as he traveled down. After a fifteen second slide, Stan reached the bottom, only ten steps away from the black haired boy. An equal combination of curiosity and anxiousness filled Stan's body. He slowly walked up to the boy who remained motionless in front of the water. Stan's silent footsteps steadily approached him, Stan unconsciously hugging his right arm again the closer he got to the child.

Now only inches away from him, Stan suddenly stopped. He eyed the boy's back with shaking wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape as if his words were stuck in his throat. "N-no way...," he choked out, digging his nails deeper into his right arm, and ignoring the stinging pain. Stan instantly recognized the boy's attire, he was wearing the same pajamas Stan himself wore except they were colorless.  _"That...can't be me...can it?"_

Stan bit his bottom lip, his pressure remaining firm on his right arm. He made no attempt to move another step, fear and confusion holding him still. A gentle temperature-less breeze blew each of the boys' black locks. Suddenly the grey water began to create harsh waves. Black rain fell from the cloudless sky, and a rumble of thunder sounded overhead. Even though the waves were splashing harshly against the edge of the grass, only droplets of the water made their way onto the land. It was as if the grass was an invisible barrier, preventing the rough waters from crashing onto the unaffected boy that stood before the strong tides. The gentle breeze stayed the same throughout, never once did it change it's current.

Stan glanced up at the oil-like rain as the rapid droplets fell around the two of them, however not a single drop landed on either of them.  _"What's going on?"_ As if the boy had been freed of a restriction spell inflicted upon him, he began to twist his body around. Stan lowered his gaze from the sky and eyed the boy with quivering orbs, the sound of the rough waves and the earth-shaking thunder only background noise to Stan.

Before long, the boy had Stan's undivided attention and their eyes locked. The boy before Stan looked exactly like him, but his eyes were teal and he had a mole under his left eye. Teal was the only color on him, his face grey and expressionless.

A sense of relief hit Stan yet the feeling of unease still lingered within him, the boy may look like him but his eyes and the mole were noticeable differences.

"Stan," the boy began and said child froze. He sounded just like him as well albeit his voice held no emotion. "I must warn you of the danger that will befall you, your friends, and your home." A tense silence befell the two as Stan processed what he had just been told, only the sounds of the waves crashing against nothing, the pouring black rain, and the thunder occupied the quietness between them.

"W-what do you mean...and why do you look like me?" Stan inquired shakily, breaking the silence between the two. But the child just stared at him, leaving his questions unanswered. Stan unconsciously bit down harder on his bottom lip and applied more pressure to his arm. Red began to seep through the fabric of his sleeve and a trickle of blood trailed down his chin. He wanted to freak out and urge himself to wake up, but he found no purpose to do so for some reason. Stan hadn't a clue why he felt this way, but deep down something told him not to panic.

Sapphire and teal watched the other through the constant flow of heavy black rain, unbeknownst to Stan that the area around them was gradually being engulfed by blackness.  _"Calm down...just relax,"_ Stan willed himself, releasing his pressure on both his lip and right arm, then feeling the aftermath of the pain he foisted on himself. He briefly winced but wiped the blood from his lips with his left sleeve, his bottom lip colored a rich red.

The boy spoke again. "Darkness is approaching your town, soon you and your friends will encounter Beings of the Dark. One of them however is on the move as we speak, it has claimed a few victims already and one of them is the mother of one of your friends. "

Stan's breath hitched and he paled. The thunder, the waves, and the black rain ceased immediately after the boy's warning. The calm and collective feeling within Stan instantly vanished and was replaced with dread. His greatest fear was gradually nearing his hometown yet one of his friends' mother had already been claimed, Stan felt whatever energy he had left in him quickly disperse from his body.

Through his peripheral, Stan saw the corner of the area around them slowly being envelop by darkness. His fear increased at the realization.

The boy remained void of any emotion at the approaching gloom, his teal eyes transfixed on Stan. "Once the darkness attains your town, not a single person will remain sane...nor alive," his look-alike continued.

Stan heard him, but his words only worsened his fear.

In an instant, the area was nothing but a dark void. Stan and the boy were the only two in the empty space. Stan froze and his pupils shrunk, his breathing escaped through his lips in quick breaths. He dropped to his knees and tightly hugged his torso, his unfocused eyes could only see the blackness before him.  _"N-no...not the dark...please..."_

The teal-eyed boy watched his counterpart with a hint of sympathy, but he made no move to approach the horror-induced child. "Stan, you must push your fear behind you." Stan only hugged his body tighter and his bangs shadowed his eyes. "You mustn't let the darkness win, if you want to protect the people dear to you then you must overcome your fear of the dark."

Stan knew without a doubt that there was no way he could conquer his fear when the dark terrified him. Never knowing nor seeing anything further beyond the pitch blackness always sent a shiver down his spine. The barely colored boy's lips formed an impassive frown, once again making no attempt to console Stan. Instead he raised a colorless hand, a faint red glow emanating from the center of his palm before increasing in size. In that split second, his hand was engulfed by the red aura but after a brief moment, it vanished. He lowered his hand back to his side, and narrowed his eyes at the quivering boy in front of him.

"Stan...do you wish to know the result of your failure if you were to never to defeat your fear?" The boy asked.

Stan froze, eyes still wide and unfocused, but unseen by the bangs of his hair. Without saying a word, he lifted his head and a stifled noise came from his throat in that instant.

Red smog drifted all around the two children, shortly after heavy red rain began to shower down.  _"W-what's...happening?"_ Stan's mind questioned in fearful confusion. He looked to the boy standing not far from him for the answer, but the teal-eyed child only stared back, glaring at him.

A metallic sent filled the air followed by painful screams of people, the aroma strong and stomach churning. Stan covered his nose and mouth at the smell, his eyes welling up with tears at the large amount of blood splattering onto the groundless chasm all around them.

The rain was a shower of blood Stan realized, and the people crying out in pain were being killed.

This time a single rain drop landed on his head. Stan instinctively raised his free hand to touch his hair, lowering his hand and looking at the red liquid with shaken eyes. "Please...m-make it stop," he whimpered behind his hand, his voice quavering.

The boy shook his head. "This is what will happen Stan, innocent people will be killed because you were too weak to prevent it from happening."

Stan frowned behind his hand. A feeling of both hurt and guilt washed over him. Would he truly be the cause of the deaths of innocent people because of his failure to overcome his weakness? How did such a burden suddenly come to him when he's only a child? It was something Stan couldn't begin to understand, no matter if he tried to or not. Tears leaked out from Stan's eyes as the guilt became to strong for him to bear. His friends, family, and the people of South Park would all be killed because of him. Because he was too weak to prevent it from happening.

The screams and the blood shower slowly faded out, becoming distant and faint. "Will I really...," Stan mumbled, lowering his hand from his mouth, and clenching his other hand holding the liquid of blood into a fist. "Will I really be the cause of innocent people's deaths?" He repeated louder for the other boy to hear.

Teal eyes gleamed in satisfaction although his face remained neutral. "Yes, you will.  _Many_  innocent people will die because you can't handle something as simple and meaningless such as the dark. The only thing you should be fearing are the Beings of Darkness, not the darkness itself."

Stan tightened his fist, and raised his head. His narrowed eyes met the teal-eyed child's gaze of hidden gratification. "How can you say that?" Stan hissed through gritted teeth, angry. "I'm only a kid and you expect me to-"

"I don't expect anything from you child," the boy interrupted, his tone haughty and uncaring. "I can always go to someone else, like one of your friends perhaps and let them handle the burden instead." Stan glared daggers at the smirking boy. He rose to his feet with his eyes lingering on the child before him.

"Tell me why," Stan demanded. "Why did you choose me?"

The boy gave him a nonchalant shrug. "No particular reason, like I said I can always-"

"Stop lying!" Stan interjected hotly. The boy stared back with slightly widened eyes. "I know you have a reason for picking me and I think I deserve to know why butthole." His look-alike gawked at him in slight shock before stifling a laugh.

Stan's blood boiled from the action. "The heck's so funny?!"

The other noirette shook his head, lips curving into a small smile. He didn't think Stan would get angry so suddenly, it only showed him that Stan wasn't the one to give in so easily. "Nothing, but I'll tell you why Stan, why you were chosen to be the next Successor of Darkness. But first allow me to introduce myself, my name is Chris King and I am your Inner Guardian." After introducing himself, his entire body instantly shaded in color. His skin was the same hue as Stan's only pale, and his pajamas were the same color as well.

Stan blinked, his anger slowly dissipating. "S..successor? Inner Guardian? I don't know what those are but I thought I was suppose to conquer my fear of the dark, not become whatever a successor is."

Chris slowly walked over to the confused noirette. "Yes that is what I said, but a successor is a person that exceeds another, basically a inheritor for short. Which means someone in your family has the power to control Darkness and you will soon replace them. Inner Guardian's are spirits that vary in appearance, there are three types: one is a Dark Guardian, which is what I am, the second is a Light Guardian, and the last one is a Mixed Guardian. They posses both Light and Darkness."

Stan frowned in confusion. He had a lot of questions to ask about this matter, but he's still hesitant about all of this. "I still don't get it, I mean the dark still scares me, how am I gonna control it?"

Chris halted where he stood, his face blank once again as he placed his hands behind his back. "Stan...if you fail to control the dark...then the dark will control you," he simply concluded. Stan stiffened and lowered his gaze to the blood soaked ground. He tried not to picture the victims who died and had their blood spilled because of his failure to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Chris resumed his walked towards Stan. "It's your destiny Stan, it is your fate to defeat the Beings of Darkness with your own kind of darkness. Although the Beings have already begun to move, the darkness itself is moving ever so slowly. It will probably be years from now when the darkness attacks but you  _must_  be ready before then. That's why you're being told this at such a young age." Stan felt a cold hand touch his shoulder, he gazed up at Chris with glossy eyes. "But don't worry, I'll be by your side through it all and as will your friends. You are not going to be alone."

"M-my friends?" Stan asked, uncertain.

Chris nodded. "Yes, that is if they can handle their Inner Guardian's training as well. But first...I must ask you something."

Stan sniffled then nodded. Chris lightly squeezed his shoulder, his face serious. "Do you recall the words...The dark hungers for you?" Stan's body stiffened once again and his eyes widened. How could he forget the very words that increased his fear of the dark in the first place? He first thought he dreamt the events of that night, both his door and the book appeared normal when he showed them to his mother. But could it not have been a dream after all?

Chris gave the frozen noirette a hard stare, releasing his hold on Stan's shoulder. "I see so you do remember...well that's good. But those words were not meant to scare you, they were meant to inform you of the changes to come."

Stan's eyes never decreased in size as he gave Chris a look of doubt. "What do you mean inform me? I'm pretty sure words wouldn't start off talking about the darkness trying to eat you."

There was a tense pause. Stan's eyes returned to their normal size as he stared at the other for a response, but Chris remained silent. "Chris-"

"Stan...just trust me. The words were just a misunderstanding, they were supposed to tell you that you were going to inherit the Darkness. Not...become one..." Stan saw conflict storming around in Chris' eyes, his orbs struggling to contradict his words. Stan was stuck between believing him or not, the boy hadn't said anything worth gaining his trust over. Chris had been secretive ever since they first met not too long ago.

Stan rubbed the back of his neck, eyes roaming elsewhere except at the boy in front of him. "Look umm, I'm not so sure that I should trust you just yet. You still haven't told me who you really are and all of this is still new to me."

The corners of Chris' lips slightly slid upwards, it was a small and hurtful smile. "I understand...but there are some things that must be kept a secret. Once you are older, I will tell you more things about me...I can tell you this however." He let his words linger in the air as he took two steps back from Stan. A red aura began to surround Chris' body, soon after faint traces of silver mingled in with the red. Stan stared in both awe and nervous anticipation. Chris closed his eyes and the red and silver aura all around him began to fade away.  _"Huh? Why's it disappearing all of a sudden?"_ Stan thought, puzzled and slightly disappointed.

After about three seconds, the mystical aura faded away completely. Stan also noticed that the red smog had disappeared but the splatters of blood remained. Chris slowly opened his eyes to reveal red iris' around his teal orbs. "Stan what you just witnessed was something you will be able to do soon, but your aura will be different," Chris informed.

Stan scratched his left cheek with one finger. "Yeeaaaah, but...what did you do exactly?"

A smirk made it's way to Chris' lips. "I'm glad you asked, but let me show you instead." He extended his left arm and rolled up his sleeve, then raised his right hand and extended one finger. His short finger nail grew as sharp as a shark's tooth, and he cut the skin of his left arm with the sharp nail. Stan winced as Chris' blood splattered to the ground, his red liquid mixing with the victims of the Beings of the Dark's blood.

"Dude why did you-"

"Look," Chris lifted up his wounded arm for Stan to see. Slowly, Chris' wound began to close, his leaking blood re-entering his injury at the same pace before the cut completely sealed itself. Stan could only stare in awe once again at the unnatural recovery, not a single trace of the cut was marked on his skin.

Chris rolled down his sleeve and placed his hands behind his back again. "What my aura did was give my body the ability to heal any wound inflicted upon me," he explained. "But there is a downfall to it. You saw how slow the healing process was correct?"

Stan nodded, and Chris resumed. "That's the disadvantage right there, no matter how small or big the injury the healing process will remain the same. But there is a way to quicken procedure, but it's a bit advanced so I will tell you at a later time."

Stan nodded in understanding. "But is that all it can do?"

Chris shook his head. "I can't speak for all of the aura's others possess, but the slow healing factor applies to all. My aura specifically can enhance my power, and there is no time limit. The downfall is that it drains my magic, once I run out my magnified power will diminish and leave me in a drained state. I haven't used it in years but a time will come for me to use the ability."

There was silence as Stan allowed Chris' words to sink in. Stan soon became eager to learn how to use magic on his own. The thought of being able to conquer and defeat the darkness with powers only strived him to give his all to prevent the deaths of the people in his town from occurring. To protect his friends and family.

Although he was yearning to get started, late realization caused his eyes to widen slightly. "But I have school! How will I be able to do all of this?"

"I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do about that," Chris apologized sincerely. "There are going to be days where you will feel exhausted due to our training but I am your Inner Guardian, I will provide you with my energy to last you through school."

Stan seemed partially satisfied with the answer. "One more question, how do we train exactly?"

"Our training will be done almost every night when you go to bed so don't expect to get a goodnight's sleep, you will also undergo training in the real world but by the person you are going to succeed over. You will have two different sets of training sessions," Chris explained.

Stan said nothing as he processed Chris' response once again. Stan was aware that he would become worn out from the extra training he would be doing, but he was still eager to begin. He would do whatever it took to save the lives of the people he cared about. "When do I start?" Stan asked, still longing to get started.

"I'm glad to see that you're so eager to begin your training, but before you can use magic you must conquer your fear of the dark without it first," Chris told him.

Stan visibly deflated at his words, his mood plummeting to the blackness beneath him. He felt like crying at the thought of fighting the darkness on his own, his will wasn't strong enough to overcome his fear. If Chris wasn't here with him in this place Stan wouldn't even be standing, let alone have a stable mind. His black bangs shadowed his eyes as he lowered his gaze to his feet.  _"There's...no way I can face my fear alone..."_

Chris frowned at the disheartened boy, but Stan mustn't rely on power to help him with his troubles. "Stan," Chris addressed, but the other noirette didn't acknowledge him, or rather he didn't hear him. A distant chime of a grandfather clock caused Chris' eyes to widen briefly before narrowing. Time was almost up. "Look up Stanley Marsh!"

Stan's shoulders jumped at the sound of Chris' loud order. He lifted his head to look at Chris with defeated eyes. Chris kept his glare for a brief moment before sighing. He closed his eyes and opened them to reveal the normality of his teal eyes. "I know that you're discouraged at the moment but I told you that you are not alone. You are not going to overcome your fear by yourself, I'll be there with you, to give you moral support."

His encouraging words gave Stan a moderate boost, but his appearance hadn't changed. Chris made his way over to his human look-alike, his footsteps creating light splashing sounds as his socks briefly landed in the many puddles of blood. It wasn't long until both noirette's were face to face once again, neither said a word to each other. That is until Chris flicked Stan's forehead. The boy yelped in surprise at the action and rubbed his stinging skin.

"Ow, the heck ya do that for?" Stan whined, eyes back to their original state and welling up with tears.

Chris couldn't help but smile a little, however deep down he hadn't a clue why he flicked the others forehead to begin with. It just seemed...right to him for some inexplicable reason.  _"Probably because I'm starting to see him as a younger brother...Or a twin..."_ An indescribable feeling washed over Chris at the realization, and he bit down on his bottom lip. It would explain the resemblance between the two although Chris had teal eyes and a mole under his left eye. Chris was born over many years ago so what could possibly be the reason for their similar appearance he wondered.

_"Maybe it's because he's..."_

He couldn't ponder on the thought any longer because of Stan's hand waving in his face for his attention. "Oi you still there?" He questioned, his forehead tinged a faint red.

Chris' cheeks turned a bright pink, and he moved Stan's hand away from his face. Stan chuckled at Chris' expression of embarrassment. "S-sorry, I got a little sidetracked," he admitted lamely. "Anyway time is running out and remember, you must complete your trial before your training begins."

Stan urged himself not to be affected again. He took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. Chris could see the present determination in Stan's eyes, the boy was ready to face his deepest fear to save others, and he was aware that both Chris and his friends would be with him to support him through it all.

"But I have a question," Stan announced. "How long do I have to complete it?"

Chris' lips formed into a thin line. "Two weeks...you have two weeks at best to have beaten your fear of the dark." Both boys locked eyes, each containing the same determination for the other. "But I have faith that you will overpower it before then."

Stan smiled at the praise, feeling his resolve increase with the faith his Inner Guardian put into him. He knew that he mustn't fail. Many lives were on the line. Stan balled his hands into fists and clenched them in resolution. "Thank you Chris...I promise I won't let you down...I'll give it my all to beat the dark," he vowed. Chris smiled as well at the boy's unwavering devotion, Stan will grow up to be a strong man. Chris could practically see it.

Suddenly, the blood from the ground began to disintegrate into tiny particles, then drift into the air, heading back into nothing. Soon after a deep chime of a grandfather clock rang, closer this time. "Umm what's going on?" Stan asked as he glanced up at the ascending blood.

"You are about to wake up," Chris answered. "But before you go, once you complete your trial you will undergo two different sets of training sessions as I told you before. One will be with me and the other will be with either your mother or father."

Stan began to notice a light feeling in his body. He looked down and saw that he was slowly disintegrating, his particles a light blue. He tried to question what was happening to him, but he couldn't find his voice. He looked to Chris with pleading eyes, but all the teal-eyed boy did was smile softly at him. "I know you have a lot more questions to ask but the next time we meet I will answer them as much as I can, also the two weeks time limit will begin once we meet again."

Only Stan's neck and head remained, having lost his mid-upper body and lower half. "One more thing," Chris said, his face stern and lips a thin line. Stan became nervous about his next words. "Please be cautious of your friend...Kyle Broflovski."

The last light blue particle of Stan's body ascended to the void-like sky, Chris gazing up at the pretty fragment with a smile that was slowly changing into a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	5. Approaching changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Kenny's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 11th_

Waking up after a death was always something Kenny hated.

His whole body would ache and his head would throb like crazy, he felt like this every time he's revived. He would have to bare with the aftermaths of his deaths every time he woke up, his family was so poor that they couldn't even afford cheap medication.

Kenny seldom forgot the cause of his deaths, mainly because he always died by bullshit reasons. But for some reason he couldn't recall his last death, and his pounding head wasn't making remembering it any easier. A pained groan escaped through his lips, and he weakly lifted a hand to massage his forehead.

He always questioned why he never stayed dead, whether it be to himself or to no one in particular. He asked God and Satan themselves for the reason whenever he died, but they would avoid the question. Only that he would know in due time, and it was left at that. Kenny hated it, he hated dying nearly everyday only to come back after two or three days or sometimes the next week, and never knowing why. He's scared to tell his family of his otherworldly ability, fearing they would dub him crazy or put him in some insane asylum. Kenny knew they wouldn't react the way his friends did when they first witnessed his death back in Preschool. Since then Kyle nor Stan were really disturbed by his random deaths anymore, and Cartman always laughed at him.

After awhile Kenny slowly sat up and instantly began to shiver. He looked down at his bare arms and visible dirty white wife beater.  _"Huh?! Where's my jacket?!"_ He thought, shocked. This was the first time he'd woken up without his orange parka on his lithe frame, he always had it on him even in the afterlife. The blonde haired boy frantically searched for his favorite jacket from his spot on the floor, it wasn't on his dirty mattress or anywhere beside him. He looked to his barely functional alarm clock located right beside his bed for the time, the red numbers showing it was  **5:45 a.m.**

Kenny wasn't sure if he should trust the busted clock of his, it's rarely been right ever since he accidentally broke it one morning, so he looked to his broken window for confirmation. The sky was faintly dark, brightening ever so slowly with a tinge of orange, meaning the sun was about to arise. He could vaguely see the many stars disappearing as the sun gradually rose into view. Kenny sighed in disappointment, hoping to have been revived after school started so he wouldn't have to go.

The boy scratched his blonde hair in exasperation before standing up, heading to his bathroom and hoping to find his parka in there by chance. He flicked the light switch on, the light fluttering rapidly for a brief moment before staying on, coating his bathroom in dim lighting.  _"I swear it's gonna go out one day,"_ Kenny sighed once again and looked to his cracked mirror, his eyes widening almost instantly upon first glance. He wasn't sure if his mirror was playing tricks on him or if the dim lighting was illuminating his hair somehow, but the front part of his hair was white. Kenny tentatively raised his hand to touch the white strand of hair, it felt greasy like the rest of his blonde strands.  _"H-how?!"_

Hastily, Kenny turned one of the knobs on the sink, but no water came out of the faucet. He turned the other knob and water finally poured out, Kenny wasted no time cupping both of his hands full of the water and splashing the cool liquid onto his hair. His body shivered once again, then he looked to his mirror expecting to find the white color washed off. But to his disappointment, the color remained. He hung his soaked head low causing droplets of the cool water to land into the sink, the water continuing to run.  _"First my jacket now this?"_ He thought in disbelief. He huffed and turned the water off, then shook his hair of the water.

The action caused a sprayful of the liquid to scatter everywhere, and his hair became slightly damp afterwards. He moved his soaked bangs out of his view as he looked around his small bathroom for his parka. He checked his bathtub, but as he suspected it wasn't in there although it was a start. He did a thorough scan around the compacted area, sadly not spotting his orange parka anywhere. Dread hit the pit of his stomach, it's like his jacket disappeared all of a sudden.

Kenny ambled out of his bathroom, only to halt with a shiver in the middle of his room. The crisp, cold morning air filled his room thanks to his broken window, as it did every morning however his parka always shielded him from the cool weather that entered whenever he slept. He hugged his arms and shuddered in the chilly temperature, missing the warmth his parka always provided him.

Not only was he freezing but he felt naked without it, he never once took his parka off. He wore it each and everyday. The jacket was also like his personal comfort zone, the lack of confidence with his looks due to him being poor always left him with his hood up to conceal his face. Now one part of his hair was an out of place color, and that only made him feel worse about his appearance. Kenny hugged his skinny arms tighter, his mildly soaked hair shadowing his eyes as his head went downward.  _"Am I...going to have to go to school...without it?"_ He was always self-conscious about his body, since he's constantly picked on for being poor. He didn't want to be picked on for his malnourished body either. He didn't need anyone else calling him anymore names, he got that enough from Cartman.

An unwelcomed gust of wind blew into his room, the cool breeze swaying his moist hair, doing little to dry it. Kenny clenched his teeth as he clutched each of his arms even tighter, a futile attempt to shield himself from the cold.  _"M-maybe I should just stay in the living room...wait..."_ realization hit Kenny like a smack to the face.  _"I bet my jacket is in there!"_ A feeling of relief washed over him at the thought and he hurried out of his room, darkness and silence greeted him once he opened his door. He tiptoed out into the dark.

After his short trek, he froze once he spotted a person's head from the couch. Kenny literally felt his heart sank, only one person would still be up at this time.

Kenny had the option of waiting in his room until the rest of his family woke up so he could get his jacket without any suspicions, but he would literally freeze to death in his room without his parka. Then again, he wouldn't have to feel his father's drunken wrath if the man found him awake and out of his room. Again.

Kenny bit his bottom lip as he pondered his choices. Sadly he couldn't get far for the silhouette on the couch began to move. The male grunted and groaned as if he were in pain, but Kenny knew what his father had been doing all last night and the previous nights as well.

Even though that was the case, Kenny hadn't told his family what the man had truly been up to almost every night, more like he couldn't tell them.

His mother believed that his father worked at a bar thus was the reason he always came home early in the morning smelling like alcohol and cigarettes. It wasn't  _entirely_  the truth. It was true that Stuart did go to the bar, however he  _didn't_  work there. He only went there to drink and play around.

It was something Kenny accidentally found out one night, it was two months ago.  _May 20th._

Death had claimed Kenny that day. He was in gym and the coach had them playing dodgeball. Long story short, only halfway through the game, a ball pelted Kenny hard enough for him to hit his head on the vinyl flooring. The hard impact to the floor caused him to bleed and lose consciousness, he died later that day.

When the boy awoke the next day, much to his surprise since he was always revived after no less than two days, it was only the crack of dawn.

As Kenny laid in bed with an aching body and head, it felt as if days had passed until the dull pain had subsided. He slowly sat up then loosened his hood a bit, allowing his face and a few strands of blonde hair to be visible. At home, Kenny felt he could always show his face without any eyes judging him. His family didn't really care how the other looked since taking a bath was a rare occurrence due to the restriction of water usage.

Kenny got out of bed, his stomach begging to be fed. He didn't eat anything throughout the day.  _"All we have are Pop-Tarts and water...but it's better than nothing,"_ he reasoned with himself, repeating the words his mother always told him and his siblings. Kenny opened his bedroom door, and tiptoed into the kitchen, the weak floorboards groaning in protest every so often.

Through the darkness, Kenny made out a box sat on top of their dining table. Seems his mother didn't bother putting it back in the cupboards. He quietly made his way over to the table, standing on his tiptoes and gently taking the box in his hand. He felt inside for the snack, his fingers touching the aluminum wrapping of the Pop-Tart and pulling it out. Only to find out that it was the last one. The sudden lightness of the box indicated as much. Kenny released a silent sigh, placing the snack back into the box, and returning it onto the table.  _"I'll save it for Karen,"_ he thought with a sad smile. He always placed his little sister first before himself or anyone, Karen was a sweet girl who didn't deserve to go through the hardships they face nearly everyday.

Before Kenny even took one step, the front door creaked open. Immediately after a strong smell of cigarettes, booze, and something else Kenny couldn't describe flooded the inside. He almost gagged at the putrid combination. The door gently closed shut and soft thudding footsteps entered the living room, Kenny standing nervously in the kitchen as the man sat on the couch with a sigh of relief. Silence followed shortly after.

Kenny didn't know what to do, his father's powerful smell told him that the man did more than just work at the bar. Kenny's pulse quickened in urgency, he had to get back to his room without the man's noticing.

Thankfully, the sound of heavy breathing filled the silence.  _"He must be asleep now."_  Kenny placed a hand over his slightly racing heart and took a silent deep breath. He waited a few more seconds until he heard his father's deep breathing again before he crept out of the kitchen. Once he was in the hallway, the floorboards creaked under his light weight again. Kenny froze as did the breathing.

Kenny held his breath, hearing his father mumble incoherent words as he shuffled about on the couch, then it was silent once again. Not even the sound of his deep breathing resumed. Kenny's heart quickened once again as he stood there, hesitant to take another step. He wasn't far from his room but one more sound could alert his father for good, and he'd surely be in trouble if he were caught by the man this early in the day in his drunken state.

 _"I'll make a run for it,"_ Kenny concluded, and he positioned himself to do just that. His starting foot made the floor creak in protest again, and he took that as his cue to dash to his room.

Kenny's rapid, thudding footsteps and the squeaking floorboards lasted until he was in his room. He closed the door and leaned against it with a huff. He panted as if he had just ran a marathon, the short rush of adrenaline gradually leaving his body. After what felt like hours, his breathing and heartbeat returned to normal. He made his way over to his bed on the floor and sat on it. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and stayed in that position until the sun rose an hour later.

The rundown house sprung to life with noise, footsteps Kenny assumed were his mother's and sister's roamed about throughout the house. His brother must still be asleep and as for his father...Kenny didn't really care what that liar was up to. Kenny trusted him, both him and his family did. He thought that his father was actually going to do something to help keep the house stable and provide some food on the table, but the man was no good like his mother always called him.

A no good bastard.

Kenny hugged his knees tighter, deciding to tell his mother what the man had really been doing the past two weeks. He might not have any proof about his father coming home drunk instead of sober, but he can bring up the money. Surely his mother noticed during the past weeks or so of his father "working" at the bar that there hadn't been an increase in food, more like their food supply hadn't changed at all. There's his proof right there.

Kenny's lips formed into a small smile, and he released his hold on his knees.  _"I'll tell her when dad isn't around,"_ he thought, determined.

He waited until he felt his blood circulating properly in his legs before he stood up. Slowly, he maintained his balance with the support of the wall. Afterwards, he fixed his attire. He straightened his orange pants then smelled his parka. The smell wasn't too bad and with that he deemed his overall appearance acceptable, and he made his way over to his door.

But before he opened it however someone beat him to it. Stood before him was his sober father. Kenny could smell the lingering alcohol, cigarettes, and the other weird scent from him albeit it was faint now. Kenny froze with slightly wide hazel eyes, staring up at his father, who's brown ones locked eyes with his own.

 _"W-what does he want?"_ Kenny thought nervously. The man had yet to say a word to him since he opened the door.

There was a few more seconds of silence between the two until his father stepped further into Kenny's room, his boots thudding against the wooden flooring beneath. "Kenny," Stuart began, his southern accent and face serious. "Were you in your room last night?"

Kenny's breath hitched in his throat, did his father know? He felt uneasy as his father stared at him with unblinking eyes, awaiting his answer. Kenny could lie and say that he was in his room, it's not like his father would remember anyway since he was drunk hours prior. He willed himself to calm down before he spoke. "Yeah...I was," he answered awkwardly.

His father narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me boy," he hissed. "I know damn well it was you in the kitchen. Carol, Karen nor Kevin wake up past five in the mornin' just be in there."

Kenny's eyes widened in shock, he had been caught.  _"But how? I-I thought he went back to sleep."_ Kenny knew that he couldn't lie his way out of this one, his father was right. Neither his mother, Karen or Kevin woke up nor stayed up past five in the morning for anything. Not even to use the bathroom. As he was lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice that his father was on one knee in front of him, one hand placing threateningly on his small shoulder. They stared into each others eyes, Kenny couldn't keep his from shaking.

"Listen, I want you to keep what you saw earlier a secret got it?" Stuart ordered, applying some pressure on Kenny's shoulder when he didn't reply immediately.

Kenny briefly winced, his father was dead serious. "Y-yes...I-I got it. But I was-"

"I don't wanna hear it," Stuart's glare remained, but he released his hold on Kenny's shoulder as he stood on his feet. "If I find out that you spilled on me...I'll make sure you regret it."

Kenny could only stand in stunned disbelief as his father left his room, leaving the door open. Kenny clutched his parka with one hand, right where his racing heart was.

_"H-he wouldn't hurt me...would he...?"_

* * *

The blonde boy was brought back to the present by the sound of movement in the living room. His father's silhouette was standing behind the couch, seemingly staring at Kenny. There was an indescribable silence as he assumed they were locking eyes, every second that passed Kenny's heart would quicken.

"Kenny," said his father. To said boy's surprise, his voice wasn't hinting that he was drunk like he normally was. If anything, he sounded as if he were under something- like someone had control over his body. "Come outside," Stuart ordered.

Kenny narrowed his eyes at his father through the dark, feeling suspicious.  _"Go outside? He can't be serious,"_ he thought to himself. Kenny made no attempt to abide by his father's order, not only was it sudden but it felt odd also.  _"Something isn't right about him. I think I should wake up mom and tell her about this, I don't care what he does to me afterwards."_

Before he even turned around to wake up his mother, Stuart spoke again. "I know what you're thinking Kenny, don't even try it."

Kenny froze.  _"What?"_ He eyed the man's silhouette, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "I warned you that if you told Carol or anyone for that matter what I've been doing when I go to the bar, that I would make you regret it...Didn't I?"

Kenny stood stiff in place, increasing fear replacing the uneasiness within him. "Y-you wouldn't hurt me...you wouldn't," he whimpered. He hugged his arms, feeling goosebumps forming on his bare skin. Stuart's boots padded against the weak floorboards, the thudding gradually making it's way towards Kenny. Each step seemed to echo in his ears, growing in sound the closer the man approached him.

Or that's what Kenny thought.

In actuality, his father was walking towards the front door. Kenny glanced up, not aware that he was looking down in the first place. He saw his father open the door, allowing the cold morning air to blow into the house. Kenny hugged his arms tighter as the chilly air lightly swayed his undershirt and hair. "I'm going to tell you one last time. Come outside," Stuart ordered again, his voice empty.

Kenny bit down on his bottom lip, without saying a word he obeyed his father's command.  _"If he kills me...I'll just come back,"_ Kenny thought negatively. His worn out socks trudged lightly on the floor as he made his way towards his father, the cold air becoming stronger the closer he got to the opened front door. Stuart walked out of the entranceway, shortly after Kenny stood on the porch of their house but left the door open. He silently prayed that the increase of cold air in the house would awake either of his family members, most preferably his mother.

Kenny glanced up at the few clouds littering the double mixture of pink and blue sky. The sun was only inches away from showing itself for the world to see.

A gentle breeze blew past the two as they stood in silence once again, Stuart with his back to Kenny as the wind tenderly fluttered each of their hair. Kenny shuddered, silently urging his father to hurry and tell him what needed to be said. After what felt like months to him, Stuart finally spoke, his attention to the junk in their yard and around the neighborhood.

"There is something you must know Kenny...a great danger is approaching your town."

Kenny cocked an eyebrow of confusion. Stuart turned around and directed his empty eyes to the perplexed boy, the blonde unconsciously avoided eye contact. "At the moment I'm taking over your father's body, and I would like to hurry and get out of this...disgusting thing. I came here to inform you of the darkness that is making it's way here," the possessed man said.

There was silence as Kenny's face scrunched up in even further confusion. He glanced up at his father, the brown pupil-less orbs reminding Kenny of mud. Stuart took one step towards him, instinctively he took one step back. "Worry not child, I will not harm you. But I must make this quick. Tonight or maybe more nights to come you will meet someone in your dreams. They will tell you more about the approaching darkness. I can tell you this much, Beings of Darkness are already making their move. A few people have already been claimed at the moment and many more will fall as well, one of your friends' mother is one of them."

Kenny's eyes widened in shock. "W-what? Who is it?" He asked, failing to hide the quavering in his voice for he desperately wanted to know who the familiar victim could be.

Stuart shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you, you must find out on your own or have them tell you in your dream one night. I have one more thing to tell you Kenneth McCormick...you along with your friends will train to defeat both the Beings of Darkness and the darkness itself. The darkness will most likely approach five to ten years from now however you and your friends must be ready before then."

Kenny's lips formed into a thin line. "But...who are you? How can I trust you?"

Abruptly, another gust of wind blew, this time not so gently. The bone-chilling air roughly swayed their hair and clothes, Kenny clenching his eyes shut and hugging himself as tight as he could whereas Stuart stood still, unaffected by the harsh wind. "Remember what I have told you today, do not forget it," Stuart said over the strong current. "You must also be cautious of your friend Kyle Broflovski for he will surely be the least person to trust during the upcoming approach of darkness." The wind lasted for five more seconds until everything went silent.

Kenny slowly opened his eyes, feeling his eyelids along with his body practically frozen. His mind had a dozen of questions, most of them about this darkness that was approaching and Kyle.  _"He didn't answer any of my questions, just who was he?"_ Kenny looked down at his arms, his pale skin tinged a faint purple.  _"Great...,"_ he thought bitterly. He looked to the ground, finding his father laying face first into the snow. Kenny slowly wandered over to him, taking a great amount of effort to move his near frozen legs.

After a great struggle, Kenny collapsed on his knees beside his father. With an equal amount effort, Kenny extended his left arm to shake the man's shoulder. It was weak, but the feeble motion managed to stir Stuart. The man groaned before lifting up his head, bits of snow lingering on his face and mustache. "The hell...happened?" He asked groggily. Kenny watched him slowly sat upright and wipe the snow from his face. Once Stuart had a clear vision he spotted Kenny in front of him. "Kenny what the hell are we doin' out here?" He did a double take on the blonde's hair, eying the white strand in confusion. "And what's up with your hair?"

"D-dad...is that..really you?" Kenny asked, his body shaking heavily and his dry bangs covering his eyes. He could tell that his father was staring at him in increasing confusion but he had to ask, he  _had_  to make sure.

"I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about but let's get inside. Can you stand?" Kenny weakly shook his head. He heard his dad sigh before standing up. Kenny sat there, feeling his vision getting blurry and his mind growing heavy. Having not an ounce of energy left in him to fight the queasy feeling he was overcoming, he closed his eyes. Before he blacked out, he felt himself being lifted from the ground.

Unconsciously, his pale lips curled into a small smile.

* * *

_August 12th_

Warm.

A comfortable warmth surrounded Kenny's entire body. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming the comfy feeling, but it was something he didn't want leaving him. He snuggled into the warmth, inhaling a strong scent of cigarettes but not caring. The heat the object was providing him was much more important than it's smell.

After about an hour or so, Kenny opened his eyes. Through his indistinct vision, he barely could make out that he was in his house and that it was dark. He blinked a few times then wiped at his eyes, immediately a sense of familiarity hit him. He looked down at himself, covering him was one of his father's jackets and his orange parka.

 _"My-my jacket!"_ Kenny sat up with wide eyes. He moved each of his arms from under the jacket so he could get a better look at the parka he thought lost forever.

There was no mistaking it, he somehow had his parka securing him.  _"Oh yeah...I didn't get a change to look in the living room for it. So it was in there then."_

Kenny looked around his surroundings, to his surprise he  _was_  in the living room.  _"Why am I...,"_ Kenny recalled what happened with his father outside, the warning he received from whomever possessing him left Kenny with many questions that didn't leave his mind. He clutched his father's jacket.  _"I know for a fact I didn't dream what happened...it felt too real. Being told about the Beings of Darkness...about people already being victims of the Dark...and one of them is one of my friends' mom."_

Kenny felt he could trust what the mystery being told him, why would the spirit possess his father just to lie to him. After all, this wouldn't be the first time crazy crap happened in this town, however this scenario felt it would be far more dangerous.  _"He also said that me and my friends are going have to prepare to defeat the Beings of Darkness and the darkness itself...but what do they look like and how are we gonna beat them? He could've at least told me."_ Kenny sighed, now he had to worry about the darkness that planned on taking both the people and the town on top of his inability to die. He released his hold on his father's jacket, and sat there.

All he could do was just sit on the couch, letting the brown jacket and his parka thaw his frostbitten body as his mind thought up question after question. But after a short while, he gave up, his questions were going to remain unanswered anyway.

Kenny began to wonder which one of his friends' mother had been claimed by the darkness; it could either be Mrs. Marsh, Mrs. Broflovski, or Mrs. Cartman. Although he hadn't been over any of his friends' house, thanks to dying, the thought of any one of them being manipulated by the darkness made him worry about his friends' safety.  _"But I haven't seen Stan, Kyle, or Cartman acting weird lately. I wonder how long these Beings of Darkness have been roaming around for."_

Suddenly a brief image of his possessed father entered his mind. The wind was blowing harshly past them, but Stuart remained still as his hair and clothes blew haphazardly in the strong gust. Kenny had his eyes shut at the time, but somehow he could picture his father's moving lips, even through the blackness of his eyelids.  _"You must also be cautious of your friend Kyle Broflovski,"_  was what Stuart said before he collapsed.

Kenny furrowed his eyebrows in doubt.  _"What did he mean by that? I'd understand Cartman...but Kyle...Why him?"_ He saw nothing wrong with Kyle recently so why must he be careful of his redheaded friend he wondered.

After some moments, Kenny came to a conclusion. "The only way...is for me to find out," he spoke softly. Although he was determined to discover anything suspicious about Kyle, Kenny was reluctant to leave the warmth enveloping him. It felt like it's literally been ages since he last felt toasty in his home, they have no money for heat and the broken windows and cracks only made the inside colder.

 _"No,"_ Kenny denied with a shake of his head.  _"Kyle is more important right now...I have my parka now so I'll be fine."_ He gently removed his father's jacket from his lap, the coldness of the house instantly greeting his legs. Kenny shuddered slightly, swinging his legs off of the couch. Once his feet hit the floor, a sharp pain shot through him. He winced and covered his mouth to keep from crying out. He took two deep breaths before removing his hands from his mouth.

Kenny looked down at his dirty, worn out socks, he wiggled his toes only to wince in pain again.  _"Ngh...man that hurts..but I gotta fight it. I have to see Kyle, hopefully I can tell him about this darkness stuff if nothing is wrong with him."_

With that thought, he stood up on shaky legs, his toes stinging due to the pressure of his skinny weight.  _"Fight it,"_ he told himself, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes.

He quickly wiped them away then took one careful step forward, followed by another, ignoring the sharp pain coursing through his legs. After about close to a minute, Kenny reached the front door. He was panting lightly from the strain, but his breathing later returned to normal. The blonde bent down for his beat up sneakers, quickly placing them on his feet, only to feel the aftermath of his haste movement.

Without a moments hesitation, Kenny opened the door. His parka protected him from the cold, crispy night air and he couldn't have been more happier to have his parka covering him.

Hazel eyes stared ahead, the night sky filled with a full moon along with many clouds and stars. Kenny pulled his hood over his head and pulled the strings to tighten his hood, covering his whole face except for his eyes.

 _"Okay...let's go."_ Kenny closed the door before taking off in a sprint to Kyle's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	6. What the eyes see cannot be unseen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Cartman's POV.
> 
> Warning: Rated-M stuff towards the end
> 
> This is my first time writing a M-rated scene. Please enjoy)

That same Saturday night, Cartman was dreaming.

He was snuggled comfortably in bed underneath his light blue covers, his sleeping face upwards toward the ceiling and his breathing light and inaudible. He always found solace sleeping in cold weather, loving the mixture of his warm covers and the cold air mingling together. It was the best temperature to sleep in he always thought. The tranquil temperature provided him with equal dreams, however tonight was different.

The dream was very dissimilar from what he normally dreamt, in fact none of his dreams left him in an area full of nothing. Everywhere he turned he saw nothing but blackness, no matter how far he ran he never went anywhere. He couldn't even hear the sounds of his sock covered footsteps as he ran, all was silent except his heavy panting.

After awhile, but to Cartman it felt like forever, he collapsed on his hands and knees. He felt exhausted from running, having not a clue as to how long he ran nor if he was in the same spot he was at previously or not.  _"Where the heck am I?"_ He thought tiredly.

Some seconds passed until his breathing returned to normal, and he sat on his knees. He glanced around him, hoping to find something in this void, but alas he saw nothing. A feeling of loss swept over him, not knowing what else to do. All he wanted was to wake up from this...nightmare.  _"There's no point in running anymore, I can't tell nothing apart,"_ he thought, defeated.

Out of nowhere, Cartman felt something wet land on top of his head. His shoulders jumped at the unsuspected action, and he slowly raised a hand to his head. Once his fingers lightly touched the mysterious substance, he lowered his hand to inspect it, immediately recognizing it's colorless texture.  _"Water? Is it gonna rain now?"_ Cartman thought, curious. He wiped his hand on his dark blue pajama pants, and glanced up to discover that what landed on his head wasn't rain. Instead little by little, snow sauntered down from above. "Wait...snow?" He questioned, lifting himself up and onto his feet as he continued to gaze upward at the random snowfall.

It was strange, it's snowing yet Cartman didn't feel cold, he didn't feel anything. He stuck his hand out in front of him, one of the little droplets of snow landing gently on his palm however it didn't feel like it did. It felt like he wasn't touching anything. Cartman pulled his hand back, stopping in front of his chest. He became suspicious as he observed the little particle on his palm. He recalled when he touched the liquid atop of his head just seconds ago, the snow had condensed as soon as it made contact with his mop of brown hair.

Cartman narrowed his eyes, confirming his suspicion.  _"Why hasn't this melted yet?"_

He focused his attention to the snow falling around him. More than a dozen of the white particles were littered everywhere, all unmelted. It was as if the snow was gradually painting the blackness around him into a white canvas. Cartman let the snow in his hand drop by his feet, allowing the frozen gas to accompany the rest of it's kind.

Swiftly and silently, a gust of wind picked up. Cartman expected the current of air to be cold, however that wasn't the case. Just like the snow, the wind was equal of any temperature.

The sudden breeze blew the snow on the ground, past and ahead of Cartman. The brunette watched in confusion and awe as the snow grouped up in one spot, gathering a few inches away from him.  _"What's happening now?"_ Bit by bit, the snow huddled together and began to take form. The white textures slowly changed to yellow, red, and black, but some white remained. There was an equal amount of both white and red, having greater numbers than the black.

Soon the white snow took the form of a person. Cartman's chocolate brown eyes widened as he continued to stare before him, his body frozen stiff in shock. All of the white snowflakes expanded and reached down to the ground, outlining it's head, arms, torso, and legs. Shortly after, around the upper part of the chest area, the snow separated a bit then morphed into two medium sized lumps. Cartman knew instantly that the snow was forming into a female.

 _"That's...actually pretty cool..but still freaky,"_ he thought.

Soon after the snow formed her hands and feet, followed by her jointed digits on each of the limbs. After the white snow finished shaping the female, the yellow took the form of long blonde hair, forming about three rows reaching down to her waist. A few of the red moved up to her head and separated to each side, becoming her eyes.

The rest of the many red and a few black snowflakes took the shape of a dress. He could see the red snow outline the dresses features, the color covering the female's breasts then shaping into frills around her kneecaps. Briefly afterwards, the black covered over the red frills, coloring the ruffles in it's own color. Next, the remaining red and black muddled together under the dress and at her feet. The two colors appeared as if they were trying to dominate the other.

 _"Wow...they're really goin' at it,"_ Cartman thought, intrigued.

After a short but fierce battle, the red overpowered the black. The red snowflakes split into two and enclosed her feet, the two red's slightly lifting her heels and the bottom becoming flat, outlining a pair of high heels. The black snow separated also, each going behind and under the red snow. The black snowdrops formed a thin vertical line underneath each of the red, it's height ranging from two to three inches tall.

Cartman noticed that it took all of the snow around him to make this person.

Suddenly, more droplets of snow descended from the cloudless sky. Cartman watched them travel over to the dress before stopping, the white snowflakes split into groups of four then turned black. Two placed themselves above the lifted part of the shoes, forming into straps and the other two placed themselves on her shoulders, becoming straps as well above the dress.

Before long, all of the colors began to solidify. First starting with the girl's body then working it's way down to her shoes. Her skin was as pale as the snow that made her, her long hair was as yellow as the sun, and her red eyes, dress, and shoes were as red as blood. She released a light breath and blinked a few times, her eyes pupil-less. She directed her red orbs at Cartman, the chubby child's breath hitching when they made eye contact.  _"She looks so...beautiful,"_ he thought, quickly becoming transfixed on the female's appearance.

"You must be...Eric Cartman I presume?" The girl inquired, her tone soft and gentle.

 _"Just like snow."_ Cartman blinked. He shook his head to clear his mind of the hypnosis her looks cast upon him. "Y-yeah...but how do you know my name?"

The blonde haired female was silent for a moment, her face blank. There was something hidden behind her visage of blankness yet Cartman couldn't pinpoint what it could be. "My name is Zerphy Faith," the now named girl introduced. "I know your name because it is crucial for us Inner Guardian's to know their host."

There was a brief silence that overtook the two.

"Umm okay?" Cartman asked, clearly confused.

Zerphy began to stroll over to him, her red heels silent as she approached. "Inner Guardian's are spirits that have been around for many years, taking on any form they please. There are three types: Dark, Light, and Mixed. Mixed Guardian's possess both the powers of Light and Darkness but are rare among us. I am a Dark Guardian. If I tell you anything more than that, you would remain asleep for quite awhile, and I know you wouldn't want that would you?"

"Yeah it would suck," Cartman admitted, wasting no time on his answer. "But at least I would know what the heck you meant and understand what's going on."

Zerphy stopped where she stood, her thick inched heels giving her height leverage to tower over Cartman's head. Her pale lips curled into a small smile. "I suppose you're right, but for now I'm only going to inform you what you must know as of right now." Her smile faded into a thin line, and she placed her hands behind her back. "Eric, your town is in great danger. An evil entity known as the darkness is slowly nearing your town, however the darkness' underlings known as the Beings of Darkness have already made their move. They have claimed a few people already. You and your friends must train to defeat the evil not only threatening your home, but the world as well."

Abruptly, the scene around them changed. Cartman found himself along with Zerphy standing on the snow covered ground of South Park. Once again he didn't feel cold as his feet stood in the snow and seeped into his socks, the frozen vapors providing no coolness to them. They were by Stark's Pond, nothing seemed wrong with the place as Cartman glanced around. The sky was dark with only a full moon, no clouds nor stars were in sight.

"It may seem normal now, but soon... _it_  will appear," Zerphy explained grimly.

Cartman watched ahead of him in growing fear as he anticipated the worst. Coming out from the shadows of one of the buildings was a person, a male Cartman assumed. The being was clad in all black, the bright moon couldn't reveal his identity as he stood in it's light. Chocolate brown eyes watched the man intently, wondering what he was going to do. But the person remained motionless where he stood, his black hood glancing up at the moon.  _"Why isn't he moving?"_ Cartman thought, impatient yet anxious.

Soon the male raised a black gloved hand, extending one finger and pointing directly at the moon above. Almost instantly, a tiny red energy sprung forth from the tip of his forefinger and began to expand in size. Without further notice, the medium sized red energy shot from the man's finger at lighting speed. It was so fast that Cartman was left stunned, it was only until he saw light fading from around them that he comprehended what had just happened. Slowly, once Cartman had his eyes directed up at the sky, his orbs widened in disbelief.

The moon was gone, the man had blasted it to smithereens. The red beam was both silent and deadly. The moon's tiny remains twinkled like stars from afar in the dark night sky, descending in different directions until they faded out of view.

Cartman couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. How was it even possible to shoot the moon with something so small? Cartman heard the male chuckle evilly before creeping back into the shadows, his deep laughter echoing in the boy's ears. "That was no man Eric," Zerphy said, her lips still a thin line. "That was a Being of Darkness, they possess great power yet they don't have to do a damn thing to earn such strength. They feed from the darkness within and from their Master." Cartman never heard such venom in someone's voice before, she must've truly detested them.

As fast as they appeared in South Park, they ended up back in the void. Cartman observed Zerphy although he was still shaken up from what he had just seen, her face was contorted into a scowl as her eyes glared down at the ground that burned with pure hatred, and her fists were clenched by her sides. Cartman could practically feel the anger pouring out of her. Thankfully he didn't have to stand around in the awkward silence for long, Zerphy lifted her head and breathed deeply through her nose. She repeated the process two more times before relaxing her posture, giving Cartman a forced small smile afterwards.

"I'm really sorry...I-I didn't mean for you to see that side of me," she apologized sheepishly.

Cartman shook his head. "No I kinda understand why you would get that upset at these Beings of Darkness. But...when will that...thing shoot the moon?" He asked nervously.

The blonde haired female bit her bottom lip as she thought over his question. "I'm...not too sure. As I've told you before the Beings of Darkness have already taken action, as you've seen just now. The darkness itself won't appear until a few or many years from now." She released the pressure from her lip, and balled her hands into fists again by her sides. "But I can assure you that I will make sure it doesn't happen...no  _we_ will prevent it from happening. I can guarantee it."

Cartman was taken aback by the strong, unwavering determination in her eyes. However he wasn't as strong-willed as she was. "How the heck are we gonna beat someone like that?!" He exclaimed, almost hysterically. "He freakin' blew the moon to bits, there's no way we can beat that!"

"Yes we can," Zerphy replied, her determination still strong as she placed her hand over her chest. "As your Inner Guardian I will train you, I will grant you the power to destroy the darkness with your own darkness. As a Dark Guardian, I will give you my power to hold your own."

There was a short, tense pause.

"I...don't think I'll be much help," Cartman said quietly. "I get that you're confident about beating the darkness an' all...but I'm just a kid, it's impossible-"

"It's not," Zerphy interrupted strongly, gently placing a cold hand on his shoulder. "It's not impossible for you to fight. Yes you are still a child but that shouldn't stop you. If you want to continue living, if you want this planet and the people on it to live as well...then you must fight. But remember you are not alone, I will be by your side as will your friends, they will possess Inner Guardian's as well and help fight off both the darkness and the Beings of Darkness. Please...do not give up Eric Cartman."

Chocolate brown and blood red stared at the other attentively, each holding different yet recognizable emotions in them. Suddenly, the sound of a grandfather clock chimed in the distance, startling Cartman. Slowly, the blackness around them began to brighten into white. Zerphy's hand lingered on his shoulder for a few more seconds until she took two steps back.

"W-what's happening?" Cartman asked, glancing around him.

"You're about to wake up," Zerphy answered. She clasped her hand over the other as she placed her hands over the frills of her dress. "Before you go I must tell you something, it's very crucial and you along with your other two friends' actions will shape what comes next."

Cartman suddenly felt light. He looked down to find himself fading, his middle half almost gone. "Eric...you must be extremely careful around your friend...," Zerphy tightened her hands together. "Kyle Broflovski."

Against Cartman's will, everything went white.

* * *

_August 13th_

Cartman's eyes flew open with a start. His breathing was heavy yet his head felt light, his heart pounding in his chest. He sat up and took a deep breath, repeating the process until his heart was at a normal rate. He looked around his room, due to his curtains blocking the window he couldn't tell the time of day. His mother had yet to buy him an another alarm clock since his previous one had somehow gotten broken. Instead he sat in his bed and allowed his mind to backtrack to his dream.

 _"The darkness, the Beings of Darkness...just everything she told me is hard to believe! That one Being of Darkness blew up the moon with no problem and she expects me...no us to beat that? She's crazy."_ Cartman ended his thoughts from there, just thinking into it that far was enough to get his spirits down. He heaved a sigh and pushed the covers off of him, the room's cold air greeting his body the instant the covers warmth left him. But he didn't care, maybe the cold would distract his mind for the time being. He sat in bed for a few moments, then swung his legs over the edge, jumping down and ambling over to his window.

He moved the curtains out of the way, to his great surprise it was only the crack of dawn. He could see the sun peaking out from behind the mountains and the stars vanishing, the Cumulus clouds drifting very slowly in the pink and blue sky. Cartman's eyes soaked in the beauty of dawn, never witnessing such serenity before since he was never really a morning person.  _"Wonder what I should do today...I have school tomorrow-"_

Cartman paused mid-thought, even though he wanted to push what his Inner Guardian told him in his dream in the back of his mind, he came to a sudden realization.  _"Zerphy said that she would train me and I would have Dark powers of my own...but how will I do all of that if I have school? My mom would kill me if she found out I'd been skipping."_

Another sigh escaped past Cartman's lips. He gazed out the window for a few more seconds, allowing the calm sky to relax his mind before he closed the curtains. He went to his bathroom to use the toilet. Once done, he exited his room and walked downstairs, surprisingly finding his mother absent.  _"Aww no breakfast? But she's always up around this time...since her job always keeps her busy."_

Cartman wandered into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, hoping to find something to eat this early in the day. But they didn't have much, he forgotten that his mother told him that she was heading to the store later on today. Instead he took a carton of orange juice out and placed it on the dining table, then he grabbed a glass from the cupboards and cleaned it. He poured the juice into the glass, and while doing so his mother appeared, taking the steps slowly as she tied a knot around her purple bathrobe.

"Good morning mom," Cartman greeted formally. He closed the carton and placed it back into the fridge.

Surprised, Liane froze in the living room. "Oh, Eric what are you doing up so early?"

Cartman shrugged, and took a seat at the table. "It was too cold in my room and it woke me up," he lied. It wouldn't do him any good if he told his mother of his dream when he himself was just as unsure about it.

His mother composed herself, and entered the kitchen. "I see, sorry sweety I forgot to turn on the heat before I left yesterday." She opened the fridge only to close it briefly after. "Oh that's right I'm supposed to head to the store for more grocery's today..."

Cartman looked up from his glass of orange juice, seeing the look of hesitation on her pale, tired face. He took the glass away from his lips, gently placing it on the table. "What's wrong?"

Liane shook her head, giving him a forced smile. "N-nothing Eric...ummm do you have any plans for today?" She asked nervously.

Cartman eyed his mother with a raised eyebrow. "No not really. Why?" He asked, baiting his mother to spill whatever she was hiding.

"N-no reason," she answered, still nervous. "Well eat whatever we have left until I go to the store later." She walked over to Cartman, and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. He made a gagging sound, wiping his forehead feverishly. Liane giggled as she walked back to her room.

Cartman downed the rest of his orange juice, then deposited the glass into the sink.  _"Wait, she didn't ask me if I wanted to go with her,"_ he thought. He made his way over to the stairs and ascended them, stopping in front of his mother's closed bedroom door. As soon as he was about to open the door, he heard his mother's hushed voice from inside.

"I'm really sorry but I won't be able to make it today." There was a couple of seconds pause until she spoke again. "Yes I know it was today but I told my son I was going grocery shopping later. Please can we-" She stopped suddenly, Cartman assuming she had gotten cut off. After the passing of a few seconds, he listened to his mother sigh in defeat. "Yes...I understand, I'll meet you there around three." He heard her sigh again as she ended her call. He quickly retreated to his room once he heard the sound of shuffling going about inside.

 _"Wonder what that was all about,"_ Cartman thought once he was in his room. He noticed lately that his mother had been going out frequently, and the time varied. Sometimes she would go out around the morning, the afternoon, the evening, and at night only to come back the next day. Cartman didn't know what kind of work she did but he's aware that it's exhausting her. Whenever he saw his mother she would have bags under her eyes and her skin would be pale just like today. There would also be some days where she wouldn't leave her room at all, whenever she did that Cartman's concern grew.

Cartman frowned, leaning against his bedroom door.  _"I don't have a dad and I don't wanna lose my mom either,"_ he thought sadly. He always wondered why he didn't have a father in his life, there were some occasions where Cartman wanted to ask his mother about his father's whereabouts. But every time he mustered up the courage to ask, he would hesitate in the end.

 _"I didn't wanna see my mom hurting again...Since then I never asked or brought it up around her."_ Cartman pulled himself away from the door, heading to his bathroom to get cleaned up for the day.

**/**

"Mom I'm heading out," Cartman called out to his mother whom was still in her room.

He was clad in his usual attire, however a blue hat with a yellow poof ball rested atop of his head. His mother bought it for him not too long ago, and it's something he will always treasure since it kept his head nice and warm. Cartman stood at the front door, waiting for a response from his mother. But as seconds passed, she failed to respond back.  _"She's probably asleep,"_ he figured. He left out of the house, walking into the cool morning air.

He stuffed his yellow mittened hands into his jacket pockets, warming them further more. Not many people were out this early, a car or two drove cautiously on the frozen roads and a few people along with himself walked about on the sidewalk. One person caught his eyes almost immediately. Across the street from him was a familiar orange parka.  _"What's Kenny doin' out here this early?"_ Cartman thought. He stopped and eyed the boy, noticing how Kenny was walking as if he was a zombie with his head cast down.  _"Wonder what's wrong with him...oh yeah, he died last week,"_ Cartman almost laughed at the thought of the poor boy dying before he'd even gotten to school that day.

"Oi! Kenny!" Cartman shouted, but his loud voice fell on deaf ears. Kenny continued walking sullenly to wherever Cartman didn't know.  _"Wait what was he doing over here anyway, his house isn't in these parts,"_ the brunette thought in confusion. He glanced down the path Kenny was walking on in the opposite direction, once he saw the recognizable dark green house a few blocks away from where they were, realization hit him once again. "Was he over at Kyle's house?" He wondered out loud to himself. Cartman glimpsed at Kenny one last time before continuing his own walk, now with a destination in mind.

 _"Now that I think about it, it's been awhile since me and Kyle hung out..or talked. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned down my offer to hang out with him today."_ Cartman remembered as clear as day when Kyle deemed the two of them frenemies one day at school. He couldn't suppress the chuckle as he pictured the little redhead mad with flushed cheeks, then again the glare he received from the boy was a bit terrifying.

 _"Eric...you must be extremely careful around your friend...Kyle_   _Broflovski."_  Cartman froze in his tracks. Should he believe what Zerphy told him? Despite the fact that the two rarely talked to each other, Cartman saw nothing strange about Kyle as of late, aside from him nearly clinging to Stan every so often.  _"I swear Kyle's gay for Stan,"_ Cartman thought teasingly.  _"But aside from that I haven't seen him acting weird at all lately. Zerphy's crazy like I thought."_ With that, Cartman resumed his walk.

After a minutes trek, he stood on the sidewalk in front of the Broflovski's residence. For some reason, Cartman began to get butterflies in his stomach and his heartbeat quickened slightly. He clenched his fists in his pockets.  _"The heck am I so nervous for? It's just Kyle,"_ he thought, trying to give himself a confidence boost. He took a deep breath, then walked to the Broflovski's front door. He raised a gloved fist and knocked lightly on the brown wood, his nerves increasing as he waited for the door to be opened.

Cartman stared at the snow covered porch as he proceeded to wait, as seconds flew by he began to get impatient.  _"I know it's early but jeez, someone's gotta be up,"_ he knocked on the door one last time, a bit harder, then waited again.

Not bothering to stand around for no more than ten seconds, Cartman huffed and turned around, walking away from the house. "I thought Mrs. Broflovski would be up at least," he grumbled. He slowed his pace once he's back on the sidewalk. "Now what can I do?" He asked himself.  _"I could probably go over to Stan's house...but what if he's still sick? Nah I'm not gonna risk it, so going over his house is out. Then there's Kenny...nevermind scratch that. Guess I'll just spend my Sunday at home again."_

The chubby boy took his time walking home, letting his mind come up with some productive activities he could do throughout the day.  _"I always watch t.v and eat chips on the couch every weekend, I wanna do somethin' new. Maybe I should take up mom's offer and walk around, get some exercise...Pfft nah, I'd rather watch boring t.v shows than do that. Guess that's what I'll do..._ _without_ _eating any chips."_ Cartman's stomach rumbled at the thought of his favorite snack, he rubbed his belly through his jacket.  _"Just hold on a bit longer, mom will buy some later."_

Amidst his thoughts, he realized he was slowly approaching his house. The closer he neared, the more he began to notice a red car in their driveway, parked right behind his mother's black car.  _"Wonder who's over,"_ Cartman thought, surprised. He picked up his pace, eager to see whom was over their house this early.  _"Probably whoever mom was talking to earlier...but she said that she would them...not for them to meet her."_ Cartman found himself sprinting to his house, worrying for his mother's safety.

Panting lightly from his short run, he reached the front door and quickly tried the doorknob. To his surprise and relief it was unlocked. He pushed it open and slammed it closed, alerting his mother and whoever else was over of his arrival. He looked down to find nonidentical shoes right beside his mother's low high heels. They were black dress shoes.  _"A guy is over here!"_ Without further delay, he rushed upstairs and to his mother's room.

He gulped nervously as he placed a hand on the doorknob, freezing when he heard a voice inside."Ooooh r-right t-there ahh," the voice moaned. Cartman felt his stomach churn in disgust at the familiar voice, it made him sick to hear his mom sound like that. He tightened his grip on the doorknob.

"Oh so you have two sweet spots eh Cookie?" A deep voice purred. His mother along with the man inside her room both began to moan, the male talking sweet nothings to her all the while.

Cartman felt queasy. He used his free hand to cover his mouth, keeping his nausea under control. Soon, his tight grip on the handle decreased the more he listened to his mother and the man's pleasure-filled voices.  _"I-is this what she does...whenever she goes out?"_ Cartman felt betrayed, he knew his mother was working hard to provide for the both of them, but this was something he least expected her to be doing. Tears began to well up in Cartman's eyes, he felt hurt and angry at the same time.

Hurt that his own mother would stoop so low, and angry at her for doing something so downgrading to herself.  _"I gotta get away from here."_ Cartman slowly backed away from the door, his hand still steadying his queasiness.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Liane suddenly exclaimed in a panic. Cartman froze, glossy eyes wide as he held his breath.

He heard the man's deep chuckle. "What do you mean what am I doing? This here," a piercing, loud smack made Cartman flinch. "Is what will increase your pay as always only if you cooperate, Cookie Cartman," the man teased.

"N-no please...don't! First you show up when you said to meet this afternoon then you do this?!" Liane cried.

Cartman stood away from the door, multiple mixtures of emotions overwhelming his body, rendering him frozen in place. His ears picked up every muffled sound from behind the closed door, but he didn't want to hear them. He didn't want to hear his mother scream protests at the man, he didn't want to hear the man laugh or hear whatever item he had smacking about. Cartman covered his ears with both hands, his eyes shut tight. He tried his damnedest to block out the noise, but it was futile. He could still hear the voices and the sharp blow of the man's item through both his clogged ears and the door.

Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from his mother and she whimpered shortly after.  _"M-mom...h-he's hurting her!"_ Cartman's tear leaking eyes narrowed at the door, slowly lowering his hands away from his ears.

"Awww Cookie why are you crying?" Cartman heard the sick man ask. "We've done this many times before so why the sudden disinterest?"

"P-please...just stop...it hurts," the boy's mother whimpered.

"Hmmm, I know how to make this all the more enjoyable," the man mused.

Cartman listened to his mother beg the man to stop, but shortly after her voice began to muffle until Cartman could only hear her struggle under whatever the man forced over her mouth. Cartman felt his blood began to boil in rage, balling his hands into fists by his sides and clenching them firmly.  _"He's hurting her...,"_ he thought again, this time angrily.

_"Do something about it Eric...Protect your mother."_

Cartman instantly regained his senses, the soft and gentle voice was not his.  _"Z-Zerphy?!"_

The voice of Zerphy spoke again.  _"Protect your mother...kill the man causing her harm."_

Cartman's body stiffened and his blood grew cold. "K-kill?" He wondered aloud, voice quivering. He could feel his heart hammering inside his chest, his breathing coming out in shaky breaths. His mind numbed, but he could hear another smack fill the air followed by his mother's muffled screaming.

 _"Yes Eric...kill. Don't worry, I'll help you. I won't let you handle this alone, I'm here with you."_ Appearing out of thin air was a knife, floating before Cartman, and awaiting for the boy to grasp it's handle in his hands. Cartman's eyes widened in horror, and he backed away from the deadly weapon, hitting his back against the wall. It was a kitchen knife, it's blade sharp and it's handle black and red. Cartman knew that this knife didn't belong in this house.

 _"Take the knife, use it to end that bastard of a man's life. Scum like him do not deserve to live on this earth,"_ Zerphy prodded, a hint of venom in her soft tone.

Cartman instantly shook his head, eying the sharp weapon with shaking eyes. "N-no, I can't kill-"

_"Yes you can, you have every right to kill those that cause harm to the people you care about. Hurry before it's too late and the man will win, he will come back in the near future and onward to do as he pleases with your mother."_

Nearly sweating under pressure, Cartman timidly raised a hand over to the floating knife.  _"I'm doing this...for my mom. She's the only person in my life...I can't lose her."_ His stubby fingers faintly touched the handle of the weapon, suddenly envisioning himself bursting through the door of his mother's room and stabbing the man in the back without a moments hesitation. It was a satisfying image, seeing the man laying unmoving on the floor surrounded in a pool of his own blood made Cartman's lips curl into a smile.

He gripped the handle tightly in one hand, pulling the object close to his chest and using his other hand to firmly grasp it. He stared at the door with eyes burning in determination.  _"I'll save you mom...even if it means killing someone."_

Cartman ambled over to the door, releasing his strong hold on the knife to use one of his hands to turn the doorknob. It was unlocked. Slowly and cautiously, he pushed the door open, the room faintly dark. The window curtains blocked out the rising sun, but his mother's lamp provided dim lighting. Cartman opened it a little more, getting a glimpse of two people on the bed, their identity vaguely distinguishable due to the lamp.

But it was enough for Cartman to nearly throw up where he stood, his hold on the knife gradually becoming weak as was his resolve.

The room reeked of musk and sex, on the floor by the bed laid an opened brown box. His mother and a well-built man were naked on the bed, Cartman could faintly see them sweating under the dull illumination. The salty liquid trailed down their body's as if they had been soaked in a heavy downpour of rain. In the blonde haired man's hands was a black whip, the strip of leather tied around his left wrist, shortening it's long length. His mother had her butt in the air, her butt cheeks tinged a dark red. Her head and arms were in front of her, facing away from the male and her long brown hair was sprawled carelessly down her back. Her legs were spread apart on each side placing the man in the middle. A trail of white substance leaked out from his mother's entrance, going down onto her bed.

Cartman quickly covered his nose and mouth with his free hand, his nausea returning and stronger than before. His eyes watered again, and his stomach did all sorts of flips. He tried to avert his attention away from the disgusting scene, but he feared that if he moved even an inch he would throw up.  _"T-this is...sick,"_ he thought. His tears finally spilled as his legs grew shaky.

 _"Do not hesitate any longer,"_ Zerphy insisted softly inside his head.  _"Kill him quickly and free your mother."_

Cartman shook his head again, clenching his hand over his mouth while his hold on the knife weakened.  _"You wish to save her correct?"_ Zerphy asked. He paused briefly before gently nodding his head.  _"Then kill him...look..he's about to hit her with the whip again."_

A loud thwack penetrated the silence, the blonde haired man squeezing and stretching the whip in his hands in a threatening manner. Cartman watched the man through blurry vision. The blonde unwound the whip around his wrist, letting loose it's full length as it reached all the way down to the carpet beneath.

"Now before we resume, I'm going to ask you a question. Only nod or shake your head okay Cookie?" The man asked, his tone teasing Liane.

She arched her back, trying to leverage herself up but her tied hands made the effort difficult. She twisted her head to the side, a gag was placed over her mouth and her eyes were leaking with tears. Cartman's eyes widened at the exotic display of his mother. He heard her muffled voice through her gag. "Ah-ah Cookie, only nod for yes or shake your head for no," the man said, trailing his forefinger down her back, splitting her long hair as he traveled down to her butt. Liane turned her head away as her body shook in pleasure, and a faint moan escaped from her.

Cartman's wide orbs watched the man pry himself off of the bed, Cartman didn't bother trying to hide himself. Both his body and mind were numb to move his body out of view. The blonde walked over and stood on Liane's left, the long whip laying on the floor like a snake sneaking up on it's prey. "You have two options," he began. "One is that we can switch positions and instead you be the wielder of this whip, or two we continue what we were doing prior. Which do you prefer?"

Liane quickly turned her head to her left, caramel brown eyes wide in disbelief. "Mmmmph mmph mmph-!"

Another loud but dull thwack silenced the frantic woman. The man had struck the floor. "Nod or shake your head," he ordered sternly. Liane's body trembled in fear, she looked away and placed her head in between her bounded hands on her pillow, clenching her hands even tighter.

A smirk spread on the man's lips, satisfied with the woman's reaction. "Fine...option number two it is then." He walked towards the end of the bed with his eyes trained on Liane's naked figure. Once he's in position, he readied his whip.

Time seemed to move in slow motion for Cartman.

 _"Eric you have to move!"_ Cartman heard Zerphy urge him. But he made no attempt to do so. His body felt heavy, the knife in his hand was held in his stone-like grip. Cartman's eyes reduced in size, they soon became lost of color and empty. His eyes were a dull dark brown, like dirt.

A collection of images flashed through his mind. All were of his mother.

Not once had she ever left his side as he grew, she was always there. It was when he turned 4 years old that she began to go out almost everyday. Whether it was in the morning, afternoon, evening, or night; she was gone. Leaving Cartman home all alone. He still loved her and always will, even if she kept secrets from him.

 _"But this...is going too far,"_ he thought subconsciously.

The next set of images were all of his mother looking ill, her skin pale and sickly. She turned to him with a weak, forced smile.

 _"I hated when you came home looking like that...I thought...you were slowly leaving me."_ In the real world, fresh tears poured out from Cartman's eyes.

The next image was the last.

His mother was smiling. It was genuine, beautiful, and directed at him. Her smile was as bright as the background Cartman saw her in. "Eric," his mother extended a hand towards him. Cartman looked up at her, confused. "Let's go Eric...let's live happily together...Just the two of us."

Cartman slowly walked over to her, his footsteps soundless. He glanced down at her hand as his lips curled into a small smile, gently placing his hand on top of his mother's.

_"Eric!"_

Time moved back to it's original state, and the man lowered his arm.

Cartman pushed the door open all of the way, causing it to hit the wall with a loud bang. Both his mother and the man jumped at the loud, sudden sound. Cartman stood in the doorway as he held the knife with both hands, panting heavily with adrenaline.

"The hell?!" The man asked, furious. Liane turned her head to the side, only getting a faint glimpse of Cartman. Fresh tears trailed down her face.

Cartman glared at the man, his eyes still leaking with tears. "Get away from her," he hissed.

The man scoffed, glancing at the knife in the little boy's shaking hands. "You don't have the balls to stab me brat."

_"Eric...allow me to take over."_

Slowly and suddenly, Cartman began to see red. The color spread and completely engulfed his vision, but he didn't feel scared. He only felt pure anger towards the sadistic man in his mother's room. Just like his vision, Cartman's chocolate brown eyes were a blood red. They were burning like a lava full of malice. He allowed Zerphy to take control, combining their negative emotions.

"I'll fucking kill you."

Without a seconds delay, Cartman charged at the man with his knife ready.

Blood splattered to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This is why I don't write smut, it's soooo cringy for me to write out sex scenes and hopefully this will be the only one...I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	7. Strange Things Happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Craig's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 13th_

Craig was laying in bed that Sunday afternoon, bored of anything to do before school tomorrow. His amber eyes stared dully up at his cobalt blue ceiling, hands behind his head with his right leg propping up over his left. The boy was still in his pajamas, having done his morning routine but didn't bother to put on any daytime clothing.

 _"I could probably go over a friends house later,"_ he decided after awhile.

In the meantime, Craig allowed his mind to wander. He didn't really have much to think on, but it was better than laying in bed staring up at the ceiling as time passed.  _"Wish I had a t.v in here,"_ he thought.

With a sigh, he turned over on his left. On his nightstand was an animal cage and his alarm clock. As soon as he had his attention to the cage, a squeak came from within it. A smile made it's way to the noirette's lips, and he sat up on the edge of his bed before hopping off. He ambled over to his pet's cage, inside was a brown and white guinea pig, it's pink nose cutely twitching on the glass.

"Hey Stripe," Craig greeted happily. He stood on his tiptoes to reach inside the cage with both hands. Gently, he lifted Stripe out of it. The little animal squeaked happily as well, loving the feeling of being out of it's cage and into Craig's warm hands. Craig brought his pet up to his cheek, it's whiskers tickling and making him laugh. He lightly nuzzled onto Stripe's fur. "Guess I don't need a t.v if I have you lil buddy," he admitted softly. He sat back down on his bed with Stripe still in his hands.

Craig's parents bought Stripe on his fourth birthday. He didn't have his little sister Ruby at the time, and it was Craig himself that wanted to have someone keep him company at home when he wasn't hanging out with his friends.  _"I remember the look they gave me when I asked, they said that I was too young to have a pet, but in the end they gave in,"_ Craig thought with a smile. The deal was that they bought the animal supplies and Craig took care of it, his parents thought he should experience the responsibilities of taking care of a pet. It was a deal that Craig didn't even need to think twice on.  _"It's not hard taking care of him. My parents told me to just feed him, change his water and food bowls, and clean his cage. It's been really easy so far,"_ he thought, placing Stripe on his lap and caressing it's back.

There was a comfortable semi-silence as Craig petted Stripe, the little animal squeaking softly every so often in content. "Stripe what do you think I should do today?" Craig asked. "Should I visit a friend later?"

Stripe was silent. Craig stopped rubbing it and turned Stripe around to face him. He stared into Stripe's beady black orbs, it was as if they began to communicate silently through looking into each others eyes. Craig couldn't help but begin to notice that there was something strange about Stripe's eyes, like there was something lurking in it's void-like orbs. It was a strange feeling, this wasn't the first time he'd looked directly into Stripe's eyes however  _this_  was the first time he'd sensed something wrong in them.

Abruptly, Stripe squeaked and startled Craig back to his senses. He blinked, confused for a moment until he registered what had just happened.  _"Am...I that bored that I'm starting to see things now?"_ He questioned himself. He looked down at Stripe one last time, sensing nothing out of the ordinary from his pet. Craig cocked his head to the side.  _"It's probably nothing...guess I'll go over Tweek's or Clyde's house."_

He raised Stripe from his lap and carefully hopped down from his bed, ambling over to the guinea pig's cage. "Sorry for spacing out all of sudden," Craig apologized to his pet. "But I'm gonna ask one of my parents to take me over to either Tweek's or Clyde's house now." Craig stood on his tiptoes again to place Stripe back into it's cage. "But before I go, are your food and water bowls empty?"

Stripe stared at him for a second before making it's way over to it's running wheel. Craig rolled his eyes in a playful manner before standing on his tiptoes once again to check the bowls himself. Only Stripe's blue water bowl was empty, it's red food bowl still had food in it and appeared to be untouched. Craig reached down and grabbed the blue bowl, pushing the idea of Stripe neglecting it's food away. "Alright I'll be back."

He walked out of his room and downstairs. Sat on the couch in the living room was his mother with his 3 year old little sister in her lap, both watching t.v. "Mom is it okay if I can over a friends house today?" Craig asked, stepping further into the living room.

His mother averted her eyes from the television to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "In your pajamas?" She joked.

Craig lightly smacked his forehead with his free hand. "No, I meant once I refill Stripe's water bowl and put on some clothes."

His mother giggled at his response, turning back to the television. "Yes I know, I was only joking. Call their parents first to see if you can go over."

"Okay," Craig responded. He walked into the kitchen and over to the sink, turning on the faucet and filling the bowl with cold water. He let the water fill the bowl halfway, then turned the faucet off. The noirette walked through the living room, hearing his mother gasp in shock. He stopped in his tracks to look at her. "What's wrong?" He asked, but his mother shushed him with her eyes focused on the t.v screen.

"We're here today with breaking news," the news reporter, Tom Thompson said grimly. "Before I go into detail, if your child is in the room at the moment then it's best that you take them to their room. The information could be...very disturbing."

Quickly but carefully, Laura gently lifted Ruby up from her lap and stood up as she held her in her arms. She turned to Craig. "You heard the man," she said, serious. Craig frowned, but didn't object. Both he, his mother, and little sister made their way up the stairs, Craig going to his room while his mother and baby sister go into a separate room.

"Wonder what happened," Craig whispered, curious. He closed the door and wandered over to Stripe's cage.

"Here ya go lil buddy," Craig addressed. He gently placed the water bowl back in it's original spot, next to Stripe's food bowl. Craig looked through the glass to see Stripe crawling over to it's water bowl, completely ignoring it's food. Craig furrowed his eyebrows with a frown of his lips.  _"Stripe's been ignoring his food lately. He only drinks the water now for some reason."_ He knew that nothing was wrong with the choice of food, the pet shop employee told his parents the food choices for guinea pigs.

 _"Hope he's not getting sick,"_ Craig thought with a deepened frown. He turned away from the cage, walking back to his bedroom door only to come to a stop. "Oh yeah, the news is gonna talk about some stuff kids can't hear so I can't leave yet to call my friends' parents." Craig groaned in disappointment, however curiosity struck him. He knew that if he snuck out of his room to get a glimpse at what the news could be about, he would either be scarred or in trouble if his mom caught him.

 _"Just a peek wouldn't hurt,"_ he concluded with a childish smile.

Discreetly, Craig opened his door and lightly trudged over to the staircase. He stopped near the edge, got on his knees, and peeked his head out from behind the wall. He saw his father sat next to his mother on the couch, the television's volume turned down.  _"I can't hear...just a little closer."_ Craig inched his body closer to the edge of the staircase, being extra careful not to go any further as to where he would be visible if his parents were to look back.

Due to the minimal movement, Craig was able to vaguely hear what was being said on the television.

"A man was brutally murdered early this morning," Craig heard Tom inform. "He was over Liane Cartman's house...both her and the victim were naked when the police arrived. Liane was the one who called. When she was asked what happened she was too shocked by the sudden outcome...of her partner to answer. We have Rick Summers with Officer Barbrady at the crime scene, we will have him fill you in with more details. To you Rick."

The scene changed to the news corespondent and officer Barbrady, standing in front of the Cartman's household. Yellow police tape covered the front door, allowing no one but officers and investigators to enter. An ambulance was parked by the curb, four paramedics hauling the deceased victim away, his body covered with a white blanket that was seeped immensely with blood. Liane stood by the vehicle with a paramedic by her side, keeping her shaking form steady. A brown blanket covered her naked body.

"Thank you Tom," Rick said, then he turned to Barbrady. "Alright Officer Barbrady, what can you tell us?" Rick held the microphone to the man, his lips a thin line.

"For starters," Barbrady began. "The perpetrator must've had a huge grudge against the victim to nearly hack the guy to pieces, the room was a blood bath. Sadly, we've found no evidence, no murder weapon or anything that could pinpoint the killer's identity. Mrs. Cartman has yet to tell us who stormed in and killed the man. The victim's name was Tony Maywell. We found out that he was paying Mrs. Cartman as his personal prostitute for nearly two years. A box was in the room containing various toys and other items used for foreplay. I'm under the assumption that the killer could be the victim's girlfriend or ex."

"Oh my, poor Liane," Laura said softly behind her hand. Craig unconsciously leaned closer near the edge of the staircase, nearly close to falling.

Rick pulled the microphone back to his lips. "I see...but what makes you think it was his girlfriend? Do you have any evidence on that?" He placed the microphone back to Barbrady. Before he spoke, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a ziplock bag containing a wallet.

"Yes I do," Barbrady answered, opening the bag as he spoke. "Here in this wallet of Mr. Maywell's is a picture containing the possibility that his girlfriend or ex killed him." He pulled the wallet out and opened it, next he pulled out a small picture. He turned the photograph to the camera, and the cameraman zoomed in on the small frame. "Her name is unknown but based on the picture she looks to be no older than thirty. We'll have the investigators look into her later," Barbrady explained.

The picture contained a pale skinned woman with long black hair and light blue eyes, only her top half was visible in the small frame. She wore a black shirt, and her face was blank as she gazed at the camera that took her picture. It was as if she refused to smile for whatever reason, clearly showing she was not happy.

Rick placed the microphone back to himself, and the camera zoomed out of the photo. "Okay so chances are high that she could be the killer in this case, but if so then how come no evidence?" He asked. Barbrady froze for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and stuffed the photo back into the wallet then in the bag afterwards. He beckoned for an officer to take the ziplock bag away.

There was another second of silence until Barbrady spoke. "I don't know."

Rick hovered the microphone over to the officer. "I'm sorry what was that?" Rick asked.

"I said I don't know," he repeated. "When the investigators checked the doorknobs and other objects the killer could've touched, they found nothing. Like I stated earlier we found no murder weapon the killer could've used, and on top of that Mrs. Cartman's son has gone missing."

Rick frowned as he pulled the microphone back to his lips. "I see...well that isn't good. Do you think it's possible the killer formed this out somehow, excluding the disappearance of Mrs. Cartman's son, made sure to leave not one single trace of evidence behind?"

Before Barbrady could answer, one of the officers tapped his shoulder for his attention. He turned around, and they began to whisper to one another. After a minute, the officer walked away with a nod and Barbrady turned back to the camera. "Sorry but we have to take Mrs. Cartman to the hospital then to the police station for further questioning. Well after she puts some clothes on."

Rick nodded. "Okay, thank you." Barbrady nodded as well and walked away, the cameraman focusing on Rick. "Well that's all we have for today, seems this case will not be an easy one to crack. We will come back when we have an update on the matter. Back to you Tom."

Craig blinked when the television shut off. He soon realized that he was close to falling down the stairs if he had moved even in the slightest. As quietly and carefully as he could, he moved back just in time before his parents got up from the couch.

"I feel so sorry for Liane," his mother said, unsettled. "I wonder where her son was during it all. You don't think he was kidnap do you?"

"He most likely could've been, this isn't no ordinary killer we're dealin' with," Thomas said, feeling the same as his wife.

Craig got to his feet and hurried back to his room. He closed his door with an inaudible click, and made his way over to his bed. Craig couldn't even begin to describe how troubling all of this was, not only did the incident happen this morning but the police found no evidence on the killer. Craig jumped on his bed and sat on the edge, placing his elbows on his knees then burying his cheeks into his palms.

"Doubt I'll see Cartman tomorrow," he mumbled. "Maybe the killer did take him."

Craig honestly didn't know how to feel about Cartman's disappearance, sadness wasn't one of them. He didn't know the chubby boy well enough to feel sad, just sympathetic for both him and his mother.  _"Wonder if his friends saw the news today,"_ Craig thought, mildly curious. He swung his feet back and forth, deciding to push the issue away.

Throughout the remainder of the day, Craig kept his eavesdropping a secret, not particularly ready for school tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	8. Curiosity Leads To Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Craig's POV part 2 also...Why America...Why...
> 
> Please enjoy)

_August 14th_

News spread quickly in the small town, everyone was talking about the murder that happened yesterday morning as soon as Craig boarded the school bus. He walked to his original seat on the right fourth row where Tweek was already sat. "Jesus I wanna go home," Tweek said once Craig seated himself. The crazy haired blonde gripped the collar of his incorrectly buttoned green shirt anxiously. "Our parents are crazy letting us go to school when a killer is out here somewhere," he complained.

Craig shrugged, placing his red racer book bag in his lap as Ms. Crabtree rode off to the last stop. Craig looked around for the three boys that hung out with Cartman, but only spotted Stan sitting in the fifth seat on the left, looking pale and depressed. Craig also noticed that the boy wasn't wearing his red poof ball hat.  _"I guess Kyle and Kenny stayed home, but why did he come?"_ He thought, turning back around.

"What do you think about it Craig?" Tweek asked.

"It's weird but it's probably got nothing to do with the rest of us," Craig answered dully.

Tweek eyed him with a raised eyebrow, releasing his grip on his shirt and resting his hands on his lap. "I don't get how you're so...calm about all of this. Yeah we've had murder cases before but this one's different, it probably wasn't even a human that killed the guy."

Craig raised an eyebrow as well, turning to face his friend. The bus came to a halt at the last stop. "What makes you say that?" He asked.

"The police said that they found no evidence, the guy was almost hacked to shreds, and the room looked like a blood bath," Tweek answered calmly, sounding as if he'd figured out the killer's undiscovered identity. "They think the girl in the photo was the one who did it...but I get the feeling that it wasn't her or a human. It's possible a human could've done all of that, but they would have to be insane."

There was silence between the two. Clyde boarded the bus and bid them a good morning as he passed. Tweek was the only one who greeted him back. "S-so are you saying...that a monster killed him then?" Craig asked in a nervous monotone. Tweek didn't answer as he avoided making eye contact.

Ms. Crabtree drove them to the school. Craig was both iffy and dumbfounded beyond anymore words to say. He's known Tweek for quite awhile, ever since last year yet the messy haired blonde never talked this much without a hint of paranoia in his voice. Especially on a matter like this one. Tweek talked as if he was positive a monster killed the man, not a human being.

Feeling uneasy, Craig said nothing else and faced the front. Tweek remained quiet as well.

* * *

Craig entered the school with Tweek and Clyde by his side, the brunette never once stopped talking about the incident from yesterday. "The news wasn't all that scary, I thought it was gonna be way worse than that. Well I mean it is freaky that they didn't find anything on the killer but that just means that the guy was really smart," Clyde babbled. Craig and Tweek stayed silent as they walked to their classroom. Clyde ceased his rambling and glanced at the two in confusion for their lack of a response, but said nothing more.

In all honesty, Craig wanted the issue to drop. It's only been one day and he's already tired of hearing about the murder. Nothing will change until the police had an update on the case but who knew how long that would be. Like his father said this wasn't an ordinary killer this town was dealing with.

Craig gripped the straps of his book bag, thinking back on what Tweek said on the bus.  _"W-what if it was a monster that killed him and took Cartman?"_ He thought, his body tensing up with unease.

Before long, both he and his two friends reached their class, only to find all of the students standing outside of the closed door.

"Why's everyone standing around?" Clyde asked, voicing Craig's exact thoughts.

Wendy turned around to face the three boys. "We don't know, the door was closed when we all got here."

"That's weird, Mrs. Wayford is never late to school," Tweek observed. Clyde nodded in agreement.

Wendy just shrugged, later taking notice in Craig's nervous posture. "Craig are you okay?" She asked, slightly concerned. "Are you still shaken up from the news?"

Not wanting to receive any sympathetic stares from anyone, Craig released a sigh and his strong hold on his book bag straps. "Not really, just tired of hearing about it already," he answered plainly.

"Yeah but it'll probably die down soon," Wendy assumed, not making Craig feel any better on the matter.

"Yeah if they find the killer that is," Clyde said, doubtful.

After a minute of standing outside their classroom, the principal along with a man with balding grey hair and glasses approached them. In the man's left hand was a brown briefcase. "Children quiet please," Principal Victoria ordered. After some seconds, the kids quieted down and she spoke again. "As you all may have noticed, Mrs. Wayford isn't in today. The reason being thanks to the news yesterday she quit earlier and left town."

 _"Wow, she acted like she's never seen a murder case that's been unsolved before,"_ Craig thought, impassive.

"Taking her place," Victoria continued. "Is this man right here, say hello to your new teacher, Mr. Garrison. He moved here from Arkansas just last week."

"Hello Mr. Garrison," the children chorused obediently. Principal Victoria smiled in approval and went to unlock the classroom door, Mr. Garrison nodding his greeting. Once the door was unlocked, the children entered first. Principal Victoria quickly stopped Mr. Garrison before he walked in.

The teachers desk was clear of Mrs. Wayford's belongings, only the school's computer and phone rested on the surface. Craig shrugged his book bag off and placed it beside him as he sat at the end of the table. Tweek, Clyde, Wendy, Bebe, Leo, and Stan followed shortly after. Craig placed his elbow on the table then rested his cheek on his palm, staring ahead in boredom. The only sounds in the room were the other children talking among themselves at the other table and the hushed voices out in the hall, there was an awkward silence at Craig's table.

"So ummm," Clyde began, not liking the awkwardness around them. "What did you guys do over the weekend?"

"I was grounded for eating a bowl of cereal for lunch so I had to stay in my room all weekend," Leo answered. Craig rolled his eyes, the boy's parents always grounded him for the stupidest things so it wasn't nothing new to hear.

"As always," Clyde mumbled, not surprised in the slightest. "Anyway what did you do over the weekend Bebe?"

Craig rolled his eyes once again, this time in annoyance. It was no secret to him or anyone for that matter that Clyde had a crush on Bebe. The brunette had been blatantly obvious as of late, Craig didn't know when Clyde fell for her but he saw why though. Both Bebe and Wendy were cute in Craig's opinion, well to all of the boys actually, however there was one thing Craig didn't like about the two of them. Mainly Bebe.

It was that they talked non-stop.

As soon as Clyde asked Bebe the question, her indigo eyes lit up like it was Christmas. "Well before the murder that happened yesterday, me and Wendy hung out and went shopping at the mall, then after that our parents bought us these bracelets." Both girls rolled up their right sleeve and raised their hand, on Bebe's wrist was a purple and silver heart-shaped bracelet, and on Wendy's wrist was a yellow and light purple heart-shaped bracelet. "We wanted to get our names on them, but the lady working there told us we couldn't," Bebe said, pouting a little. They lowered their hand back onto the table, and Bebe rambled more about her and Wendy's weekend.

Craig groaned and sat back in his chair, looking at his love struck friend whom was eying Bebe as if she were a goddess.  _"Girls sure do love to talk a lot...hope Ruby doesn't turn out like that,"_ Craig almost shuddered at the thought. He looked around the room, trying to distract himself from Bebe's chatter. His eyes landed on the forlorn looking Stan who was sat on the left side near the opposite end of the table. He looked defeated, head down and sapphire eyes gazing at the dark blue table. His black hair unkempt.

 _"Wonder what's wrong with him? Probably sad that Cartman's gone, they got along unlike Kyle,"_ Craig thought.

Not wanting to cause any unnecessary attention, he averted his eyes away from Stan and almost screamed when he saw Tweek staring at him. "What?" He asked, hoping Tweek hadn't caught him staring at Stan.

Tweek's lips frowned. "I asked what you did over the weekend."

Craig's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. I didn't do anything, I wanted to go over your house or Clyde's yesterday but thanks to the stupid murder I had to stay at home and be bored out of my mind," he answered with a faint pout.

Tweek's blue-green eyes lingered on him for a second, then he directed his eyes to the wall across from him. "Oh," was all he said.

Craig eyed his friend in confusion, sitting up and folding both of his arms on the table. "What about you? What did you do over the weekend?" He asked.

"Nothing...just stayed at home," Tweek answered monotonously, still not making eye contact.

Craig furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey what's wrong with-"

"Sorry about the hold up class," Mr. Garrison said as he entered the classroom, interrupting Craig. He resisted the urge to flip the man off.

Mr. Garrison walked over to the teachers desk and sat his briefcase on top of it, then faced the children as he clapped his hand together. "Alright, the principal told me what you're previous teacher taught you all, however..." He let his words linger as he faced his briefcase and opened it, after a bit of rummaging around inside he pulled out a hand puppet, and placed it on his right hand.

The puppet wore a purple shirt, had a brown beard and mustache, and a tall red and white hat with the puppet's eyes placed on the rim. "I will have my assistant, Mr. Hat here with me. Say hello to the children Mr. Hat."

"Hello class, pleasure to meet you all," the puppet said with the owners accent. But Mr. Garrison's mouth didn't move when it spoke. Craig along with the rest of the class stared at them in silence, Craig more freaked out than amazed with his teacher's ventriloquist skills.

"That's so cool!" Clyde exclaimed excitedly. "How did you do that without moving your mouth?!" Some of the children mumbled in agreement. Craig was once again dumbfounded that his classmates found this entertaining somehow. Maybe he would be excited as well if it weren't for the murder that took place yesterday, a new teacher suddenly coming here with a hand puppet only added to the weirdness.

"Quiet down everyone, sorry kid but I can't tell ya my secret," Mr. Garrison said making Clyde pout. "Alright before we begin with class, I would like for you all to introduce yourselves so me and Mr. Hat can know who's who." He started with the table closest to his desk, Token going first and the rest following after one by one.

It was one minute and a few seconds later when it's Craig's table turn. Mr. Garrison and Mr. Hat made their way over and started with Stan first. "Alright kid, what's your name?" Mr. Garrison asked, but Stan didn't answer nor raise his head to look at the man, his eyes staying transfixed on the table.

"Excuse me, helloooo," Mr. Garrison lightly tapped Stan's shoulder with Mr. Hat for his attention. Craig saw Stan's body stiffen, and his eyes grew wide in alarm. As if time had mysteriously slowed down, Stan lifted his head and twisted his neck to his left to make eye contact with Mr. Garrison.

"Dear Lord!" The man cried out in shock. He backed away from Stan on wobbly legs, threatening to collapse to the floor. His back hit the whiteboard, stabilizing him from falling.

"That little shit is a demon!" Mr. Hat exclaimed, pointing a small fingerless hand at the noirette. "A demon!"

Not fazed by the puppet's insult, Stan turned around, placing his arms on the table, and burying his head into them.

 _"...W-what the heck just happened?"_ Craig thought, not risking to voice his thoughts out loud in this uncomfortable silence. He saw Leo stand up and quietly move his chair closer to Wendy, fearful of the strange acting noirette.

"Umm Mr. Garrison?" Wendy spoke hesitantly, brave to break the silence. "I think Stan's sick so I'll take him to the nurses office." She got up from her seat and ambled over to Stan, contemplating tapping his shoulder for his attention, nervous about receiving the same look he gave their teacher. "S-Stan?" She whispered. "Let's go the nurses office."

Without saying a word, Stan barely lifted his head and rose to his feet, keeping his head held low as he walked out of the room, leaving Wendy to grab his book bag and trail after him.

Mr. Garrison cleared his throat, still disturbed from the odd look he met with from Stan. "O-okay so instead I'll just take roll for the others students I didn't get. After that we'll begin class.

* * *

Curiosity got the better of Craig once again when school let out. He couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Garrison freaking out all of a sudden when he and Stan made eye contact earlier in class. Craig boarded the bus, normally he would sit with Tweek but the boy had been acting evasive towards him throughout the day for reasons unknown to Craig. Whenever he asked Tweek about his unusual behavior, he would ignore him, as if his question had fell on deaf ears.

Craig found out that Tweek had been ignoring Clyde as well, snubbing him whenever he tried to talk to him. Tweek even sat at a different table during lunch, leaving only Craig and Clyde to themselves. Craig tried not let Tweek's weird attitude affect him. He knew he did nothing wrong to make the blonde dislike him all of sudden, and he knew for a fact Clyde didn't either, so Craig had no reason to feel in the wrong.  _"No...worry about that later...it's probably nothing serious anyway,"_ Craig tried to reassure himself. However the back of his mind told him to go and demand an answer from Tweek for the way he's been acting, it was something he desperately wanted to do but finding out what happened this morning between Stan and Mr. Garrison kept his mind set on that particular task instead.

He searched for Wendy, surprisingly finding the girl sat in the back on the left side. Her seat was empty and she rested her head on the window, staring out it with a gaze Craig couldn't decipher. A confused Bebe sat with Heidi on the fifth seat on the right, every once in awhile her indigo eyes would travel to the back, deepening her frown.

Craig walked down the narrow passageway to the back, ignoring Ms. Crabtree's ear grating voice telling kids to hurry and sit down. He flipped her off once her back was turned. He shrugged his book bag off, and sat down setting his bag in his lap. Wendy's book bag separated them, her orchid colored eyes didn't bother to leave the window and see who sat next to her.

Craig suddenly felt uncomfortable yet he didn't know why. It could be the fact that he was sat next to one of the cutest girls in school that butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

Hoping he wasn't blushing at the thought, he took an silent deep breath to calm himself down then looked over at Wendy. Pushing the remnants of nervousness away, he opened his mouth. "Wendy?" His monotone held traces of hesitance, but it matched with the loudness of the other children's voices. Or at least that was what he had thought. Wendy still hadn't moved to look at him, it was as if she hadn't heard him. "Wendy?!" He called, a bit louder but the girl still failed to acknowledge him.

Slowly, the bus began to move before accelerating in speed once they're out of the school zone. A feeling of haste settled within Craig, he had to make this quick before his stop came up.

With furrowed eyebrows, Craig quickly tapped Wendy's shoulder for her awareness. He drew his finger back when he felt her body flinch, her eyes widening for a short moment. "Wendy can I ask you something?" Craig asked, hiding the urgency in his voice.

Wendy blinked a few times, lifting her head from the cold laminated glass, the left side of her purple hat elevated a bit. She appeared to be dazed from Craig's perspective, staring ahead of her with her back positioned straight and her hands faintly shaking in her lap.  _"The heck's up with her?"_ Craig thought, confused. He couldn't ponder on Wendy's odd behavior for long because the bus came to a standstill at their first stop.  _"Crap I need to hurry_."

"Wendy did you hear me?" He asked, insistent.

Wendy blinked twice and her body tensed for a brief second. She twisted her head to her left, and her orbs widened once again. "C-Craig?! How long were you sitting here?!" She exclaimed, clearly shocked but her voice wasn't loud enough to draw attention their way.

Craig eyed her in disbelief, but he dismissed the thought of asking about her wellness once the bus moved again. "Not for long but I need to ask you something, it's about what happened this morning with Stan. What happened when you guys went to the nurses office? Did he tell you anything?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

Wendy's eyes never reduced in size as she gazed at Craig, shock still lingering in her system. "Please Wendy, tell me what happened before my stop comes up," Craig pleaded. Much to his dismay, they halted at their second stop. Only one more before his approached.

Wendy bit her bottom lip and her eyes finally returned to their normal size. She directed her gaze to her hands in her lap. "W-why do you wanna know?" She asked, skeptical.

It was Craig's turn to blink. He was so bent up on finding out about the occurrence that took place earlier that the thought of his reason for knowing never crossed his mind. But once again he couldn't think on it any longer for the bus began to move again. His lips formed a line. "Look I honestly don't know but for some reason I wanna know, so can you please tell me?"

Wendy's face scrunched up in uncertainty. Craig suddenly got the feeling that she knew more than what he initially thought. "O-okay...I'll tell you," she conceded in a whisper. Both a mixture of relief and nervousness washed over Craig, eying Wendy intently as he awaited her next set of words. She was silent for a few more seconds and she released the pressure on her lip, they're on their third stop now. "Only because I don't wanna be the only one who knows this right now. I-I'm still confused and unsure about it...but Stan told me...something about the darkness and the Beings of Darkness coming here, but...the look in his eyes made me think he was talking crazy."

She heaved a sigh and gazed out of the window again with a frown, watching the buildings blur and leave out of her view. "When I asked him what was he talking about, he told me that his other half told him all of that in his dream. I didn't bother to ask him anymore questions although I really wanted to, I just deemed him crazy and left once the nurse came in. But I can't help but feel scared about what he said, his words never left my mind and I can't stop thinking about it."

There was silence between the two as Craig allowed Wendy's confession to sink in. He was confused, uneasy, and doubtful at the same time.

Stan didn't seem like the type to spout nonsense out of the blue so why now Craig wondered. Not once had he heard of these Beings of Darkness and the darkness attacking their town. The words Tweek spoke of earlier suddenly echoed in his mind.

_"They think the girl in the photo was the one who did it...but I get the feeling that it wasn't her or a human. It's possible a human could've done all of that, but they would have to be insane."_

Craig's eyes slightly widened in horror.  _"W-wait...could whatever these Beings of Darkness are...be the ones that caused the murder yesterday?"_ He thought, gripping his book bag tight in increasing fear. Unconsciously, his eyes grew wider and his breathing became shallow. The thought of monsters roaming around in their town sent shivers down his spine, fear clutching the core of his being. He wanted to reassure himself that monsters weren't real, that both Stan and Wendy were making stuff up, however something deep down within himself told him that they spoke only the truth.

_"N-no they have to be lying...m-monsters aren't real. They aren't!"_

His breath hitched inside his throat, and his body stiffened when he felt someone tap his shoulder. "We're at your stop," he heard Wendy say.

Still feeling the after effects of his turmoil of apprehension, Craig quickly mumbled an apology and got up from his seat. He clutched his book bag close to his chest as he sped walked down the aisle. He mumbled an apology to Ms. Crabtree as well before exiting the bus.

Once his shoes touched the snow on the ground, he took off in a sprint to his home, chanting that monsters weren't real inside his head to elevate himself. A pair of blue-green eyes watched him as the bus drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	9. Best Friends No Matter What

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Bebe's and Stan's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 14th- Bebe  
_

Bebe was at a loss for words as she stared behind her at Wendy on the bus.

This was the first time Wendy sat in the back, they always sat together no matter if the other was in a bad mood or not. They were best friends, if either one of them were down then the other would do their best to cheer her up. When Bebe saw Wendy board the bus, the frown still planted on her lips ever since her return from the nurses office this morning, she walked past her and Bebe's seat.

Bebe's eyes trailed behind her in confusion. "Wendy?" She questioned, but she was ignored. The blonde was quick to stop Wendy by grabbing her wrist, but more children entered the bus so she had to release her, not wanting to be the cause for holding them up. She watched Wendy saunter to the last seat. She shrugged her book bag off and sat close to the window, placing her book bag beside her then laying her head on the glass. She refused to meet Bebe's gaze of bewilderment, her indescribable orchid eyes watching the remaining children going to their buses through the window.

Bebe turned around with her lips forming into a frown. She then looked to her right, and saw Heidi sat by herself. Bebe grabbed her book bag and slid to the end of her seat. "Umm Heidi, can I sit with you?" She asked, a bit nervous. She didn't know when the last time she sat with someone other than Wendy on the bus was, but she did know that she hated sitting alone. The light brown haired girl raised an eyebrow, but scooted over to the window, allowing Bebe to come sit with her.

"Thanks," Bebe said, getting up and ambling over.

Heidi nodded her welcome, but the look of confusion remained on her face. "Why isn't Wendy sitting with you?" She asked, finding it odd that they weren't sat together.

Bebe felt her frown returning at the question. She placed her book bag in her lap, and rested her chin on top of it. "I don't know, she won't tell me what's bothering her," she sighed.

"Oh...," Heidi mumbled, not pushing the issue.

A slightly awkward silence befell them but Bebe didn't care, she preferred it be quiet between them so she could think about her best friend's strange behavior. She tuned out the other children's chatter as she thought. Bebe knew something was troubling the black haired girl but she didn't know the cause, she did have the suspicion that it had something to do with her taking Stan to the nurses office this morning.

Bebe raised her head from her bag and glanced behind her, Wendy was still staring out of the window.

***Flashback***

It was difficult for Bebe to pay attention to Mr. Garrison trying to teach the class, the man was still shaken up from whatever happened between him and Stan so she wasn't the only one distracted. However her reason for the lack of focus was different, she wasn't worried about anything per say but she was getting antsy. Her eyes would travel to the door from time to time, awaiting for her friend to come back. It's already been ten minutes since Wendy left to take Stan to the nurses office, and Bebe couldn't help but think what was taking her so long to return.

The corners of the blonde girl's lips curled downward. She placed her elbow on the table, then rested her cheek on her palm, drowning out her teacher's failing attempt at teaching. A split second later, she felt someone tap her shoulder followed by a messily folded piece of paper sliding before her.

 _"A note?"_ Bebe blinked. She looked to her right to find the person who wanted her attention, but Craig, Tweek, and Clyde had their heads down. Clyde's head was turned in Bebe's direction, staring at nothing at first until they made eye contact. Indigo and lavender met but only for a brief moment until Clyde buried his face into his arms, a failed attempt to hide the blush Bebe caught on his cheeks.

 _"Clyde is so weird,"_  she thought, her lips a small smile of amusement. She glanced down at the piece of paper with lingering puzzlement as to who gave it to her, her lips forming into a line.  _"Hope it's not anything weird."_ She gently took the paper in her small hands and unfolded it, being careful not to make too much noise to alert Mr. Garrison's attention.

She could make out big, dark grey words written on the paper, but the crinkles made it hard for her to read it. She gently smoothed the sheet out on the table, treating it as if it were a delicate flower. After a couple of times, Bebe flattened it out one last time and inspected the pencil written words on the paper.

The handwriting was a bit sloppy yet neat at the same time, it wasn't clear if a child wrote it or not.

**"Stan is hiding something, he knows something all of us don't."**

Bebe looked over the words at least four times, but she still couldn't understand what whoever wrote this meant about Stan. Now Bebe was both confused and skeptical, unbeknownst to her a pair of sky blue eyes peered over their folded arms to get a glimpse of the paper.

Not sparing another glance at the note, Bebe balled it up and got up to throw it away. The boy quickly buried his face back into his arms.

Once she neared the trash can by the front door, a rattling sound from the door halted her from throwing the paper away. Slowly, the door opened and in walked Wendy, however something had her troubled. The frown on her lips and her down cast eyes proved as much. She closed the door behind her with a soft click and walked to her seat. Bebe quickly threw the note away and did the same. Mr. Garrison didn't bother to ask Wendy about Stan's state, he just resumed his teaching.

Both Bebe and Wendy sat in their seats, and paid their teacher no mind but for different reasons.

Bebe glanced over at Wendy. The noirette held a frown of many mixed emotions and her eyes appeared distant as well, as if she herself was trying to figure out the cause of her distress. Bebe wanted to respect her silent wish to be left in her thoughts, but she was intent to find out the cause of Wendy's troubling. They were best friends after all, and maybe Bebe could help her.

"Wendy?" She whispered. Wendy didn't answer, instead she directed her eyes to look at Bebe with her head remaining down.

Bebe's facial expression became doleful, never before had she seen Wendy look so unsettled. "You wanna tell me what's bothering you?" She asked softly. She saw the frown on Wendy's lips deepen even more, and she looked back down at the table. When she didn't answer, Bebe continued. "Please, maybe I can help you."

Wendy's face contorted into a look of discomfort, but her mouth opened albeit slightly to speak. "I...can't tell you, not yet at least," she stated sadly much to Bebe's dissatisfaction. Before she could push the issue, Mr. Garrison called for the classes attention.

"Alright everyone sit up," he clapped his hands to wake the napping children, but Mr. Hat reduced the sound to a muffle. Groans of annoyance filled the classroom as the kids raised their heads. "You guys quit whining, anyway thanks to nearly all of you for sleeping in class, as punishment you all are going to have a pop quiz tomorrow on what I just went over today."

Whines and groans of protest erupted from the children, except from Bebe and Wendy. Bebe could care less about a pop quiz, something was bothering her friend and figuring out what the cause could be was her top priority.

Bebe narrowed her eyes in determination.  _"Whether you want my help or not, I will find out what's wrong."_

***End of Flashback***

The frown on Bebe's lips changed into a sad small smile after the recollection.  _"I was so confident to help Wendy out before, but...after that she started avoiding me. She didn't even sit with me at lunch today. I tried talking to her again, but she kept ignoring me. I haven't done anything wrong so why is she treating me like this? Why did she-"_

Bebe's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ms. Crabtree's voice, she was so deep in thought that the woman's loud voice caused her to grip her book bag tight. She released both an inaudible sigh and her hold on her book bag, glancing up just in time to see Craig walk past her and down the aisle, heading towards Wendy.

Both confused and curious, Bebe first looked at Tweek who was sat alone in front of her, then she twisted her head behind her, indigo eyes widening slightly when they saw Craig sit with Wendy.  _"So Craig can sit with you but I can't?"_ Bebe thought bitterly. She narrowed her eyes that were filled with hurt and turned around, sparing not another glance at the two.

She glared ahead of her as the bus began to move, slowly becoming aware of the dull ache in her chest. Gently biting her bottom lip and clutching her book bag close, she denied the many questions that wanted to flood her mind about Wendy. She just wanted to hurry home and sleep this day off, hoping come tomorrow both she and Wendy would be talking to each other again.

* * *

_Stan  
_

Stan stared up at the white ceiling in the nurses office, trying desperately not to doze off. Sleep was something he dreaded now and it's all because of a certain  _someone_. As of late Stan began to see  _him_ , even when he closed his eyes for no more than five seconds. He would see Chris.

His Inner Guardian.

Whenever Stan saw him, the boy knew instantly that something was off about the other noirette. Although he knew of Chris' odd demeanor, he didn't know the reason. His counterpart would just stare at him with dull teal eyes, saying nothing nor moving in a background colored pitch black. From there, Stan would open his eyes. Puzzled and tense.

Stan heaved an exhausted sigh and laid on his right, the window's white curtains blocking the view of the outside. Instead he stared at the colorless drapes, the white reminding him of the snow that constantly engulfed South Park. White and pure. The color also reminded him of the pretty petals in his last dream, the image of the sun that shone above the beautiful blue sky providing a gentle warmth around him and adding more beauty to the petals sent a faint breeze of comfort over him.

Just remembering such a peaceful dream caused Stan to gradually lose the battle to keep awake. He didn't bother thinking about what happened later in his dream, it was more of a nightmare and he pushed it in the very depths of his mind.

To prevent himself from giving in to sleep, Stan squirmed in bed, hoping a little movement would help keep his eyes open. He ended up laying in his previous position, on his back, sapphire eyes glancing up at the ceiling again. Suddenly, a yawn escaped through his lips. Seemed moving around didn't help his cause, but he still refused to let sleep overtake him. He was glad the nurse stepped out earlier otherwise she would be insisting him to get some rest, but he didn't know how long ago that was. He didn't know the time, he hoped it was the afternoon but it would seem unlikely since he'd been up ever since he first stepped foot in here.

Now that he'd thought about it, Stan didn't really know why he was in here to begin with. He's aware that Wendy brought him in here but how long ago that was, was also a mystery to him. Lately his mind hadn't been focusing much leaving him in predicaments such as this one. Another example was that he had forgotten to wear his signature hat this morning, his parents weren't around to scold him into putting it on or rather they were but he just didn't hear them.

Stan knew that not many days had passed since his recovery from his cold, but he couldn't help the feeling that at least five days had gone by.  _"Probably because I had that dream with Chris,"_ he thought to himself.

Stan sat up and rested his back against the metal bars behind the bed, the cold metal giving him the push he needed to stay up. His brown jacket caught his eyes at the end of the bed, folded neatly at the opposite end of the metal bars. He made no move to get it. He didn't feel cold aside from the bars on his back, despite that the low temperature slowly became comfortable the longer he laid on it against his dark blue shirt.

There was nothing but silence in the room, and it was slowly becoming uncomfortable for Stan to bear. He wiggled his feet under the covers, emitting faint shuffling noises but was enough to overlap the silence. "Wonder what time it is," he mumbled to himself. Laziness kept him from getting up and looking at the clock.

Minutes flew by but the nurse had yet to return. Stan began to get restless as he sat in bed, he ceased movement of his legs seconds ago and allowed them to rest. He glanced over at the nurses desk, looking for nothing in particular, that is until he spotted something that didn't belong amongst the many papers littering the worktable. Or that was what he assumed at least.

Eager to know what it could be, Stan lifted the covers off of him and swung his legs over the edge of the bed before hopping down.

The instant his feet made contact with the floor, the cold tiles seeped into his socks, replacing the warmth the sheets provided. He shivered lightly but made his way over to the desk. Stan could make out the item's color, it being a stainless black with some silver.  _"It's probably just a pen,"_ he thought.

Now near the desk, he could get a somewhat better inspection of the object over a document that covered it's full identity. Slowly, Stan extended his arm out to move the paper out of the way, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Don't touch it."

Stan jumped away from the desk with a scream, landing on his butt in the process. He glanced around for the source of the sudden voice, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes widened in shock once he spotted the recognizable person stood in the doorway. There was no mistaking the fiery, red afro that was atop of the boy's head along with the orange jacket, green pants, and brown boots. However there was one difference that stood out of place, his lime-green eyes. They were darker than it's original color, making his orbs appear pupil-less.

"K-Kyle?!" Stan exclaimed, surprised at the abrupt appearance of his friend.

"Don't touch it Stan," Kyle repeated, disregarding Stan's bewilderment with a neutral facade.

"Dude what are you talking about?" Stan demanded in confusion, eyes returning to their normal size as he slowly stood on his feet.

Kyle ignored his question as he walked over to the desk. He moved the papers to the side, and held up the black and silver object Stan was going to inspect. "This is dangerous, the nurse here has fallen victim to the Beings of Darkness. If you would've touched this, then your life would've been over," Kyle explained in a monotone Stan had never heard from him before. In Kyle's hand was indeed a pen just as Stan suspected, nothing appeared out of the ordinary with it.

"W-wait," Stan stuttered, realizing his best friend's statement. "Y-you know about the Beings of Darkness? But how?!"

A Mona Lisa-like smile graced Kyle's lips. He clicked the pen and out came a sharp, thick blade. A gasp left Stan's mouth, his body coating with chills. "K-Kyle-"

"You need to hurry and wake up Stan, as of right now you are dreaming this. Once the nurse returns your life will be forfeit," Kyle said, his uncanny smile still intact.

Stan's mouth was slightly wide. He had so many questions yet he knew which one to ask first. He could feel his pounding heart beating against his rib cage and he swallowed the lump in throat. "Kyle...how do you know about the Beings of Darkness?" He asked again, his voice shaky yet serious.

A new set of chills ran down Stan's body as he saw Kyle's smile widen. Without any notice, the mysterious acting child threw the pen, aiming for Stan's face. Too shocked to move, Stan stood there but the fake pen only grazed his left cheek and embedded itself into the window behind him. A small trickle of blood oozed from his wound and down his cheek. "I'll tell you how I know but first let me ask you this...," Kyle's smile widened once more, revealing his teeth. "Didn't your Inner Guardian tell you to be cautious of me?"

A loud, echoing thump resonated inside Stan's ears as he eyes grew. He realized it was the sound of his heartbeat. "H-how...do you know about that?" He managed to muster through his quivering lips.

A teasing chuckle came from Kyle, Stan too stunned to react. "You'll know in the near future," Kyle teased even further. "To answer your question, I know about the Beings of Darkness because well my mother became a victim to one."

"What?!"

"Oh no need to look so shocked, I know that your Guardian also told you that one of your friends' mother had been taken by them," Kyle specified nonchalantly. "Anyway like I warned you earlier you need to wake up otherwise you'll be killed."

"You-you aren't...," Stan mumbled, enlarged eyes transfixed on the redhead before him.

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Y-you aren't real...you're not the real Kyle," Stan finished, clearly horrified.

The corners of Kyle's lips turned up, forming into a smirk. He began to walk over to Stan, his movement haughty-like. "You're right, I'm not your super best friend Kyle Broflovski and I'm letting you know now that your friendship with him won't last very long." He stood face to face with Stan, the red haired boy trailed one finger down Stan's wounded cheek. An involuntary shiver shook Stan's body, his pale cheeks coloring into a faint pink then he took a big step back. "I'm someone Kyle is going to be in the future."

Stan's breath hitched. "W-what do you mean?"

Kyle didn't answer his question as he raised his finger covered in Stan's blood up to his mouth and sucked on it. The noirette's face scrunched up in revulsion at the disgusting action. "What the heck are you doing?! That's sick!" He hollered in disbelief.

Kyle chuckled again, still savoring the metallic taste on his tongue. He let his finger linger in his mouth for a few more seconds until he pulled his digit out, leaving a thin trail of saliva. "Before you wake up I just wanna say...that it's weird. It's weird that we're no older than ten yet we've been chosen to defeat the darkness and the Beings of Darkness that threaten this world. Well...you and the others have been," Kyle droned.

"Kyle what are you even saying right now?" Stan begged.

"I believe there's a reason why we were chosen Stan," Kyle continued; once again ignoring the boy. "And why I must be cautious of. But I'm not going to tell you, you will either learn about it yourself or your Inner Guardian will tell you, and speaking of your Guardian."

Kyle's face turned serious, and the area around them began to swirl and distort. "Just like how you should be careful around me, you should also be careful around your Guardian. He's hiding something from you, and whatever it is will change your future in more ways than one. Heed my warning Stan, or you will regret it."

Quickly, Stan tried to open his mouth, however no words came out. The voice in his head uttered his best friends name in sadness as the world rapidly faded into nothingness.

_"Kyle..."_

* * *

_Bebe  
_

"Okay, sorry for disturbing you Mrs. Testaburger."

"Oh Bebe no need to apologize, I'll talk to Wendy for you if you'd like."

There was a seconds pause. "N-no you don't have to, but thanks anyway."

Bebe could sense that Mrs. Testaburger frowned on the other end, but she was dead set on figuring out what was wrong with Wendy on her own. "Okay if you say so, goodbye."

"Bye." Bebe hung up the phone with a sad sigh, and stood there with her head down.

Sleep was a futile attempt for Bebe. She found herself unable to lay in bed without letting her mind become preoccupied of her best friend. She later came to the decision of calling her, hoping that she would at least answer the phone and talk to her through that. But instead her mother picked up and told her that Wendy went straight to her room once she got off of the bus.

Just what was it that happened between Wendy and Stan that left the girl uneasy Bebe wondered, not just Wendy but something was off with Craig as well when he got off the bus earlier. A brief image of Wendy and Craig sat together on the bus flashed through Bebe's mind. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides in slight anger.

 _"Did she tell Craig what was bothering her? She would tell him but not me?"_ Bebe couldn't stand the thought of her best friend going to others about her problems instead of her, not once had Bebe hid anything from Wendy, she told her almost everything that always bothered her.  _"We made a pinky promise that day, when you kept that Trent and his gang were bullying you a secret from me. We swore that we would never keep things from each other since then. Don't tell me you've forgotten."_

Bebe was so absorbed in her thoughts once again that she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Bebe are you alright? You've been standing over the phone for almost five minutes," said her father. The brunette was clad in a white dress shirt, brown dress pants, and black shoes; ready to leave for work soon.

Bebe allowed her sullen expression to quickly change into a small forced smile before she turned around and faced her father. She didn't want him knowing of her and Wendy's...she didn't even know what to call it. They're not fighting, but they're also not talking to each other. Bebe lost her forced facade and let her lips curl downward, eyes going South as well.

"Dad...what do you call two friends who aren't getting along with each other?" She asked softly.

Her father didn't reply right away as he got down on one knee in front of her, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you and Wendy fighting?" He asked, assuming the reason she asked the question was because they weren't on good terms.

Bebe quickly shook her head. She gazed up and locked eyes with her father, indigo meeting plum. "We're not...it's...Wendy won't tell me what's bothering her. She told someone else instead of me," she answered, almost tearing up at the thought.

A light squeeze on her shoulder kept her from shedding any tears, her father's lips curling into a small smile. "Bebe...it's not something to get upset over," he said earnestly.

"But dad-"

"Hold on, let me finish." Bebe's lips formed into a hard line as she held her tongue, allowing her father to continue. "Just because she told someone else about her troubles doesn't mean you should be upset, she most likely didn't want to tell you and burden you with her problems. Have you thought that would've been the case?" He inquired.

Bebe's eyes glanced down at her feet as she shook her head again. "But I'm her best friend, we made a pinky promise to never hide things from each other," she stated sadly.

"Yes but you don't always have to abide by it, if something was seriously troubling you, you wouldn't want anyone to find out now would you? You wouldn't even tell your best friend because you wouldn't want them to feel the sadness you're feeling." Bebe looked up when she felt her father remove his hand from her shoulder and take her small hand into his bigger one, giving her hand a light squeeze. "You and Wendy are still young and have yet to understand the true meaning of a pinky swear let alone a promise, as you grow older matters like this will become clearer to you. Trust me sweety." A sad glint shimmered it's way into his eyes. He tried to cover it up by pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "But do you understand now? Give Wendy some time, she'll tell you eventually."

Smiling softly, Bebe nodded her understanding. She leaned forward to give her father a hug, inhaling the man's sweet smelling cologne. No more words were needed to be said, it was a daughter and father moment that needed no verbal communication. Her father patted her back soothingly. They hugged for a couple of more seconds until Bebe backed away. "Thanks dad," she whispered.

Her father smiled as well and stood on his feet. "You're welcome."

Bebe excused herself to her room. Once she's inside, she closed the door and walked over to her nightstand to turn on her lamp. Dull illumination flooded the area. She looked over to the window on her left and walked over to it, moving the curtains out of the way to see a few droplets of snow descending from the light grey clouds above.

Bebe walked back and sat on the edge her bed. She glanced down at her right arm and rolled up her sleeve to reveal her bracelet. She gently stroked the plastic purple and silver hearts, an image of her and Wendy smiling happily as they picked out their wristlet caused the corners of her lips to curl upward slightly.

 _"I'm not mad anymore and I have no reason to be. I understand now that we have things we don't wanna tell others, it doesn't even matter that we're best friends. If you don't wanna tell me Wendy...then it's fine. I won't let it bother me anymore because...,"_ Bebe paused mid-thought, holding her up right hand in front of her, then bringing it to her chest and closing it into a fist. She gazed out of the window again, eyes glimmering in forgiveness.

"We're best friends...no matter what."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	10. Misfortune Pt.1- Unknown End To A Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Clyde's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 16th_

"Clyde wake up! It's time for you to get ready for school!"

A muffled groan came from within the covers on Clyde's bed at the loud voice of his mother. The boy's brown disheveled hair sprung forth from under the bundle of warmth followed by the rest of his body as he slowly sat into a sitting position. A yawn indicating that he was still tired escaped through his lips, he rubbed his eyes to rid the remaining sleep from them.

 _"Wish it was Friday already,"_ his tired mind thought.

"Clyde!"

"I'm up!" He called back. He shrugged the blanket clinging to his shoulders off of him and got out of bed. His mother was like his personal alarm clock, putting shame to the device that was meant to wake him every morning for school instead. Clyde scratched his stomach underneath his pajama shirt as he made his way to his bathroom, his bare feet padding lightly across his brown carpeted floor. He entered his personal bathroom and did his usual routine of using the toilet and washing his face, he always brushed his teeth after breakfast, his mother reasonably told him to do so.

Afterwards, he walked out of his bathroom and over to his dresser for his clothes. He laid out a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and socks on his bed. It was the same attire he wore both Monday and Tuesday but as long as they were washed, he didn't care if he wore repeated clothes more than once. His parents, mainly his mother, always nagged at him about wearing other clothes they bought for him. In all honesty, Clyde did wear other clothing, but on the weekends. Plus he wasn't the only one who wore the same clothes everyday, all of his classmates were on the same boat.

Another yawn emitted from Clyde's mouth as he trekked out of his room and down the stairs, his mother's cooking filling his nostrils instantly. Although he dreaded waking up for school past ten in the morning every weekday, the breakfast his mother always cooked made going to school somewhat tolerable, giving him if not more energy he needed.

"Finally, Mr. Sleepyhead decided to come down," his mother, Betsy Donovan teased. His father, Roger Donovan shook his head amusingly behind his newspaper.

Both of his parents were sat at the dining table consisting of the meal his mother prepared on separate plates: toast, eggs, bacon, and sausages. The two adults had coffee for their beverage, and his mother set a cup of orange juice for him by his plate. A jar of jelly and a bottle of syrup were in the middle of the table. Clyde stuck his tongue out at his mother in response and wandered over to the table, eager to dig into his food.

"So Clyde, how's it going at school?" His mother questioned as she raised her coffee mug up to her lips before taking a sip, starting their daily morning talk.

Clyde suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the repeated query. He sat down beside his father and grabbed his toast. "Mom you always ask me that," he pointed out before taking a bite out of the crispy bread.

Betsy grabbed the jelly and placed it by her plate. She raised both her toast and knife, then dug the blade into the dark colored jam. "That's because we're your parents and we have to know how our child is fairing in school," she reasoned, not taking her eyes of her toast as she spread jelly onto the hardened bread.

"Well I already told you that we got a new teacher, nothing else has been happening lately," Clyde admitted with a shrug, proceeding to eat his toast dry.

His mother gently set her knife on her plate, producing a soft clank. "Okay then what about your friends, how are they?" She asked before biting her toast. Roger read his newspaper for a few more seconds then folded it into a rectangle, placing it on the floor by his feet. He ate in silence, listening to the two talk as per usual every morning unless addressed.

Clyde ate the last remnant of his toast before answering. "They're fine I guess, but Tweek's been acting weird lately. He won't talk to me or Craig anymore," he said, lips frowning.

Neither him or Craig knew of Tweek's sudden dislike towards them, but they knew that they did nothing wrong to make him act this way. Both boys tried to demand an explanation from the crazy haired blonde, but he ignored them as if they didn't exist. It was very strange to Clyde how Tweek avoided him and Craig yet he talked normally to the other children, Clyde couldn't even fathom what could've caused Tweek to push them away.

Unlike Craig, Clyde refused to give up without being given a reason. It's like the amber eyed child didn't even care about Tweek's odd behavior anymore, however Clyde had known Tweek ever since Preschool whereas Craig had only known him since last year. Still, Craig shouldn't be so quick to disregard this matter. Just the other day Clyde tried babbling to Tweek about the pop-quiz Mr. Garrison was going to give them as they got off of the bus, but before he could utter even one word to him, Tweek sped walked away, matching his pace with Leo as they entered the school.

 _"And yesterday Craig was acting weird too, but we still talked and hung out in school,"_ Clyde suddenly thought, unaware of his parents giving him looks of concern as he sat and stared at his plate in silence.

Monday afternoon on the bus was when he first caught a glimpse of Craig acting strange. He was sat with Token, slowly becoming good friends with him. Turned out the little African-American boy was just as fun to talk and joke with much to Clyde's surprise, he didn't peg Token to be the joking type. But back to the matter at hand, Clyde saw Craig just in time before he exited the bus. The words to bid him goodbye got lodged in Clyde's throat when he saw the shear horror in Craig's eyes, the chullo wearing boy clutching his book bag as if it were trying to keep him from freaking out any further.

Clyde knew that Craig had sat with Wendy in the back throughout the bus ride, the girl acted just as weird as Tweek was that day. He'd gotten the notion that Wendy told Craig something that coursed fear through the young boy's body that still lingered in him even until the next day.  _"I asked Craig what was wrong with him, but all he told me was that I wouldn't believe him. Just what did Wendy say to him?"_ Clyde thought, both curious and anxious.

"Clyde?"

Lavender eyes fluttered a few times, snapping out of the many thoughts that still loitered in his mind. Confused as to why he had his attention to his unfinished breakfast, Clyde glanced up to see the worried looks of his parents.

"You okay son?" His father asked softly.

Clyde hesitated momentarily before giving him a light nod of his head. Clyde pushed his chair back and hopped down to his feet, his appetite gone. "I'm not hungry anymore," he declared in a whisper. He turned around and sauntered back up to his room, oblivious but faintly aware of the looks he was receiving from his mother and father.

* * *

Never before had Clyde been so eager for the bus to come pick him up. He felt regretful for leaving the rest of his food untouched for he was still hungry, the toast didn't satisfy his hunger no where near close enough.

After he excused himself from breakfast and changed into his school clothes, his mother wouldn't stop pestering him about his sudden quietness at the table as soon as he left his room. To be honest, Clyde had gotten used to his mother's hounding, but it still annoyed him. He was mindful that his mother wanted what was best for him and she wanted to be there for him whenever he was down, but not everything needed her take of action. The issue with his friends was something Clyde could figure out on his own, or that's what he hoped at least.

Much to the brunette's relief, his father stepped in and calmed the woman down with words of reasoning reassurance, causing her to slowly but surely drop the subject.

After a minute or so passed, the bus pulled up. Clyde left the house giving his parents awkward goodbyes.

Clyde boarded the bus and immediately went to sit with Craig once he saw availability, the noirette's book bag sat in his lap. Craig still appeared shaken from Monday however it was slowly diminishing, his pale skin returning to it's normal shade. "Good morning Craig," Clyde greeted happily as per usual, hiding the troubling emotions he underwent not too long ago. He sat down resting his book bag in his lap.

"Good morning," Craig mumbled with a faint smile, seemingly wanting to say more but went tight lipped and gazed out of the window. A frown made it's way to Clyde's lips but he didn't push, although he wanted to know what the other had to say.

Clyde scanned around the bus, noticing that not many people were talking. The reason being not many children were on the bus this morning, Stan was absent along with Kenny, Heidi, and a few more children. Bebe and Wendy were sat together in their original seat however they were quiet, Bebe appearing as if she wanted to say something to the other girl but was silently thinking against it.

Clyde felt a pang of hurt when he spotted Tweek sat with Leo two seats away from him on his right, Leo doing most of the talking whereas Tweek listened with his eyes peering out the window.

His lavender eyes quickly averted from the two. Suddenly finding out the reason of Tweek's neglecting behavior became Clyde's mission for today, whether the boy acknowledged him or not. One way or another he will get Tweek to tell both him and Craig what was wrong with him.

Clyde ended up looking across the seat from him. Sat alone was Kyle, his head resting on the cool glass and his attention to the front, no book bag in his care.  _"Wonder if he's still worried about Cartman going missing, but they barely hung out though and they weren't really good friends with each other either,"_ Clyde recalled, turning his eyes to the front. He didn't really pay much attention to Kyle's group but nearly everyone knew of the redhead's complicated friendship with Cartman, Kyle always hung around Stan more and with Kenny joining in sometimes.

As they slowly approached the school, Clyde felt a light tap on his shoulder. He twisted his head to the side to meet Craig's gaze, attentive lavender meeting hesitant amber. "Umm," Craig began nervously, struggling to keep eye contact with Clyde. "When we get to the school...c-can you come with me to the bathroom? I...have something to tell you."

Clyde felt a bubble of curiosity within his stomach, he wondered what the other had to tell him that needed no extra ears hearing. "Sure thing," he obliged. A faint yet strained small smile produced itself on Craig's lips, Clyde gave him a smile as well, a genuine one that was oblivious to the turmoil occurring within his friend.

Now near the front of the school, Ms. Crabtree parked by the curb and released the children, being oddly quiet. But none of the kids paid her quietness any mind as they exited the bus. Clyde spared another glance at Tweek and Leo as they walked into the school ahead of him and Craig, they followed in shortly after along with the rest of the children.

 _"I swear I will find out what's wrong with you Tweek, and I don't care how long it takes. We're still friends,"_ the brunette thought determinedly, his eyes narrowed at Tweek's back.

Clyde and Craig walked past their homeroom, and went straight to the boys restroom three doors down. Tweek halted in the entranceway, frowning at their backs briefly before entering the classroom.

The two boys set foot into the restroom. One child left as soon as they did, and it appeared no one else was in there. All of the restroom stall doors were open. Clyde and Craig stopped and faced each other, both boys nervous for different yet similar reasons. There was a tense and awkward silence between them, Clyde brought it upon himself to break it first.

"So umm what did you wanna tell me?" He didn't receive a response after his tentative query, Craig having his eyes to the tan colored ceramic tile flooring beneath him with a tight grip on his book bag straps.

"Craig, you okay?" Clyde asked, concern evident in his tone. He inched closer to his quiet friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, Craig stiffening under the gentle touch. Slowly, Craig raised his head and locked eyes with Clyde. His lavender orbs silently told Craig that Clyde was there to listen.

Releasing a breath and relaxing his body, Craig nodded, signaling he was ready to speak. Clyde removed his hand from Craig's shoulder and waited patiently for the boy to talk. "I...I wanna ask you something first," Craig announced, serious yet still nervous.

A new set of bubbles wafted about in Clyde's stomach, adding to his curiosity. His heartbeat picked up a slight pace. "What is it?" He asked, not bothering to hide how anxious he was. The anticipation was killing him, but he held on to his patience, going at his friends' pace.

"Can I trust you? You won't think I'm crazy from what I'm about to tell you...will you?" Craig questioned, slowly gripping his book bag straps again as he waited for Clyde's answer.

The little brunette eyed the noirette with a gaze of unease, not liking where this was going in the slightest. What could he possibly tell him that would make him question his trust? Did Craig think that Clyde would deem their friendship over once he revealed what was troubling him, that Clyde would dub him crazy as Craig said he would?

Still uneasy, Clyde nodded. "You can totally trust me." He mustered up a smile showing that he was sincere about what he said. However deep down he remained unsettled.

Craig's lips fought between smiling or not, in the end his lips formed a line. "O-okay...Wendy told me something on Monday, she said...," he paused, scrunching his face up in hesitation and gripping the straps of his book bag tighter.

"Craig?" Clyde wanted to say something to comfort his friend, but his mind couldn't find the right words. Not once since he's known Craig had he seen the boy appear this unnerved about what someone told him before. Softly forming his lips into a thin line, Clyde placed a hand on Craig's shoulder once again, deeming that words needed not to be spoken to soothe his friend.

The gesture was enough to get Craig to relax some and release another breath. Clyde's hand lingered on his shoulder until he was sure Craig composed himself. Suddenly, a voice of a female teacher came from within the hallway, and Craig tensed up again. "Any remaining students in the restrooms or hallways please hurry to class, you have five minutes. If you are caught then be prepared to be sent to the principal's office," she warned.

Clyde frowned in disappointment. He wouldn't hear the end of it from his parents if he was sent to Principal Victoria's office for not attending class on time. However he wanted to hear what Craig had to tell him, very eager to know what Wendy told him on Monday. But the thought of being grounded by his parents influenced Clyde to push his curiosity aside, and wait to be told another time. He let his hand drop to his side with a sigh, giving the silent noirette a small smile.

"Well we better get going, don't wanna get into trouble," he said quietly.

Craig remained quiet and still, the front of his chullo shadowing his eyes that held the floor's attention once again. Clyde's lips curled downward, then he slowly walked past him only to quickly be stopped by a hand grabbing his right wrist.

Clyde turned his head back in shock. "Craig-"

"Don't leave," Craig pleaded vigorously, still not making eye contact.

Clyde's frown deepened, turning his whole body around to face Craig. "But we have to, we'll get in trouble if we don't head to class," he argued softly.

Craig's hold on his wrist increased in pressure, refusing to let him go. Clyde tried pulling his hand back, but it was to no avail, the grip was firm. "You can't leave...," Craig raised his head, his amber eyes shiny with oncoming tears. "I have to tell you about the monsters in this town!"

Clyde was taken aback, had heard him right? "M-monsters?" He asked incredulously, making sure his ears weren't deceiving him.

The hold on the brunette's small wrist tightened a little more causing him to wince. "Wendy told me that Stan told her monsters, and the darkness was coming here. It was a monster that killed the guy on the news and kidnapped Cartman, not a person! Even Tweek knew it!" Words couldn't describe how baffled Clyde was at this very moment, feeling Craig's hold on him decreasing.

"T-Tweek does?" Clyde's trembling lips managed to ask. His brain made it difficult for him to voice more of what he wanted to spew out. Nothing but questions traveled about in his young mind, all confused and terror-induced. Every now and then Craig's words would mix with his questions, the multiple jumble of words beginning to make his head throb. There was no way Clyde could make sense of what his friend had just told him, it was truly hard to believe that monsters and some darkness were nearing their town. Nothing strange happened aside from the unsolved murder that took place on Sunday.

A strong pressure on Clyde's wrist quickly snapped him out of his stupor of bewilderment, lavender eyes blinking a few times, slowly focusing on the crying boy in front of him. "D-do you believe me?" Craig questioned through his tears, his eyes focusing intently on Clyde for his answer.

Clyde remained silent, not trusting his voice to give Craig a response. The brown haired boy broke eye contact and looked down at the floor, the constant flow of Craig's tears making him feel guilty for his lack of a reply. Unbeknownst to the brunette, Craig's expression further went South and he released his hold on Clyde's wrist, both boys' hand going limp at their sides.

"A-answer me, y-you told me that I could trust you," Craig's voice quavered, both hurt and angry.

Clyde clenched his fists. Deep down he wanted to trust Craig, however he still couldn't grasp that monsters were approaching.  _"I-I don't know what to say to him..."_ Clyde thought, scrunching his face up in conflict. An internal battle commenced within himself, debating whether if he should believe Craig or not.

Craig eyed Clyde silently. He wasn't letting the brunette leave until he had an answer, and he didn't care if they stayed in the restrooms all day. Amber eyes narrowed, gradually their tears came to a stop.

After an intense yet short dispute with himself, Clyde had come to a conclusion. With his fists still clenched tight, he raised his head and made direct eye contact with Craig, who's eyes widened very slowly. "Craig," Clyde began, his ashamed tone and eyes sent a wave of sorrow through Craig. "I...I trust you but...I can't believe what you told me. It's really hard for me to believe that monsters are coming here," he finished.

Craig's eyes reduced back to their normal size, he couldn't hide the hurt he was feeling as he held his gaze with Clyde. "I should've known, but ask Wendy...she'll tell you the same thing and I bet you'll believe it then," he assumed sadly.

Clyde's lips frowned, expecting Craig to react this way but still left a bitter notion within him. "I will but first I- no  _we_  have to settle things with Tweek. He's still our friend and we need to force him tell us what's wrong with him, I don't care how long it takes either," he insisted strongly. Both boys slowly relaxed their tense posture, Craig wiping his face with his sleeve and the equal atmosphere starting to dissipate as well.

The chullo wearing boy seemed not pleased with the idea of talking to Tweek once he's done drying his face, if anything he wanted nothing to do with the blonde he once thought was his friend. "I do, it's probably nothing serious anyway or something stupid. I don't wanna be friends with someone who hates their friends outta nowhere when we didn't even do anything to him," he opposed.

"C'mon, you still think Tweek is our friend and you know it," Clyde prodded, maintaining his frown. "We'll get him to talk to us, if not today then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then Friday or next week. I'm not giving up on him and you shouldn't either."

Craig heaved a sigh, the look of unwavering devotion on Clyde's features gave him no option to object any further. "Fine but if he doesn't talk to us by the end of next week then we aren't friends with him anymore," he suggested much to Clyde's disagreement, but the brunette nodded his head, agreeing to Craig's terms. For now at least. Clyde was positive that with enough pestering from both him and Craig, Tweek would surely give in and deliver them the answer they deserved from him.

"So umm what now?" Craig asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "It's my fault that we stayed in here pass the time we're supposed to be in class so we'll probably get sent to the principal's office if we bother heading to class."

Clyde shrugged. "We could lie and say that one us had a stomachache, and we went to the nurses office to take care of it?" He offered questionably.

"That might work," Craig agreed.

Now with an excuse about their tardiness, Clyde and Craig left the restroom. The friendly ambience around them caused the two to share a small grin.

* * *

Both Clyde and Craig were sat in the classroom during recess that early afternoon, lunch ended a few minutes ago.

Clyde's lie about the other having a stomachache backfired. They had no slip the nurse always gave the children whenever they left her office to verify that they went to get Craig's stomach checked on. Thankfully their blatant lie didn't result in them going to Principal Victoria's office, but they were excluded from one week of no recess.

Mr. Garrison had Mr. Hat monitor the two from the teachers desk while the man himself watched over the rest of his students outside. Clyde found it questionable why their teacher left an inanimate object to look after them, if either of them wanted to they could leave the classroom at this very moment and the puppet wouldn't do anything to stop them.

"This is freaking stupid," Craig complained, his right cheek resting on the palm of his hand, clearly bored. "Why would he leave a puppet in charge of us? We could totally walk outta here if we wanted to right now."

Clyde chuckled at the accuracy of Craig's statement, it was like he read his mind. "True, but where we would go though? Plus we still have like an hour left until school is over."

A groan escaped through Craig's lips, and Clyde chuckled again. "So how are we gonna get Tweek to talk to us?" Craig brought up dully. "He's just gonna ignore us even if we look like we're going near him."

Clyde thought over what the noirette said with furrowed eyebrows. It's true Tweek would automatically ignore them if either he or Craig appeared as if they were going to approach him, the blonde had been avoiding them like the plague as of late.

Suddenly, an idea formed into his head, and a sly smirk spread across his lips. "Yeah you're right and that's why I have a plan."

Craig raised an eyebrow of interest. "And that would be?"

"We're gonna get off at Tweek's stop after school, that's when he'll have no choice but to tell us," Clyde elaborated simply, feeling proud of his straightforward plan.

Craig lowered his eyebrow, his interest gone. "Umm you think his parents will let us over without us calling to tell them? Heck what about ours?"

Clyde dismissed his concerned tone with a wave of his hand. "We're not going over his house, we're just gonna get off at his bus stop and have him give us an answer there."

The black haired boy gave him a deadpan look before shaking his head. "Whatever, it's your plan."

"Darn right it is."

The two boys chatted to one another until Mr. Garrison and the rest of the class entered the classroom twenty minutes later. "Mr. Hat have these two been behaving themselves?" The grey haired man asked his lifeless assistant as he neared his desk.

The puppet didn't speak until it was placed on Mr. Garrison's right hand. "Yes they behaved themselves."

The children took their seats, however Tweek and Leo switched theirs. Instead Leo sat next to Clyde, and Tweek sat next to Wendy, the crazy haired blonde wanting to be nowhere near his former friends.

"Hi fellas," Leo greeted Clyde and Craig.

"Hey Leo, why did you and Tweek switch seats?" Clyde asked, confused.

Leo rubbed his knuckles together on his lap. "Umm well he didn't really tell me the reason, all he said was that he wanted to switch seats with me when we got back to class."

"And you didn't bother to ask why?" Craig asked, glaring at Tweek who appeared oblivious to his scowl.

The tuft of blonde haired boy shook his head. "No, I didn't really mind actually. Are you two mad?"

"No," Craig answered plainly, but Clyde said nothing. In fact, he was apathetic about the switch for he knew that once he and Craig took action on their plan later, Tweek would undoubtedly give in.

 _"We'll get you to talk Tweek,"_ Clyde thought, having not a single doubt in his mind that his strategy would fail.

***After school***

Clyde boarded the bus with a sensation of giddiness in his system, the bright smile on his face only proved that he was in a good mood. Craig followed after him, not as joyous as the brunette before him. The two sat in the first seat on the right, it was a quicker method for them to trail after Tweek when he got off of the bus.

Little by little, the few children that were on the bus this morning piled in.

"The heck are you smilin' for?" Craig asked monotonously.

"Why wouldn't I be? We're finally gonna get Tweek to talk to us," Clyde answered, still beaming.

Craig rolled his eyes. "You sure you didn't eat anything sweet today?"

Clyde stifled a laugh. "I'm 100% sure I didn't, kinda excited to see what Tweek's gonna say to us later."

His carefree statement caused Craig to raise an eyebrow. "Uh huh, you do know that he probably still wouldn't wanna be friends with us right?"

Clyde gave a nonchalant shrug, his excitement slowly lessening at the thought. "Yeah, but at least we'll know the reason...even though we didn't do anything wrong."

Eventually, the bus was filled with the minimal numbers of children that was on earlier, Tweek being the last one to board. Ms. Crabtree slowly took off before increasing in speed, not going above the speed limit like she normally did on some occasions. "Like I told you before, it's probably something stupid," Craig scoffed.

Clyde briefly watched Tweek place himself in the seat he shared with Craig before facing the front. "Well whatever it is, at least we'll know," Clyde concluded. Craig grunted in reply.

It wasn't long when they approached Craig's stop, but the little noirette stayed seated. "I'm going over a friend's house," he answered Ms. Crabtree's unspoken question. She closed the door and drove off to the next stop, not bothering to ask him whose house he was going over.

 _"What's up with Ms. Grouch today?"_ Clyde thought, confused but not worried enough to voice his thoughts out loud. Her voice was cancer to their ears and it was pleasant not to hear her shouting every two or three seconds at them over trivial things.

When they reached Kyle's stop, the little redhead exited the bus with clear vision of hesitation. Clyde eyed him through the glass as he took small steps to his house, his head angled down to the snow covered sidewalk, hiding his face. As the bus slowly pulled off, Clyde glanced at Kyle's house. The driveway only had one car parked in it, the owner of the vehicle standing on the porch of their house with a warm smile on her face. Something Kyle failed to see at the leisure pace he was going with his eyes refusing to leave contact with the ground.

 _"Weird,"_ Clyde simply wondered and turned around once the bus was far from the redhead child.

Next was Bebe. She whispered a goodbye to Wendy, who only nodded her farewell, not making eye contact. The blonde girl frowned as she got up from her seat and exited the bus. She trudged home hugging her arms around her torso to keep warm. Clyde found himself frowning as well as they drove on, he hated seeing the always smiling girl looking sad. Both he and Craig were going through a similar situation with Tweek so he could sympathize with Bebe, but they were going to figure out what's wrong with Tweek today. To see where their friendship lied based on his answer.

After dropping Bebe off, it was only Clyde, Craig, Wendy, and Tweek on the bus. Somehow, the atmosphere around them gave Clyde an uneasy chill that mixed fairly well with the cool air surrounding them. He lightly bit the inside of his cheek to conceal his uncomfortableness. He glanced over at Craig to see the boy experiencing the same sentiment as he was, his face contorting into a look of discomfort and lightly gripping his book bag.

Thankfully, the two didn't have to bask in the awkwardness for no longer than three minutes once Tweek's stop came up.

Clyde and Craig waited for Tweek to leave first before getting off behind him. Ms. Crabtree asked no questions as she closed the door, and drove off to deliver Wendy to her house.

The three boys stood in silence on the sidewalk, four pair of eyes gazing at the back of the crazy haired blonde in front of them. A soft cool breeze blew Clyde and Tweek's hair along with the flaps on Craig's chullo. Clyde shivered and placed his hands underneath his armpits while Tweek remained unaffected in nothing but his green shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Craig shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"What are you guys doing?" Tweek demanded quietly, breaking the silence.

Clyde quickly composed himself to answer, his hands toasty under his jacket's warmth. "You owe us a reason why you've been avoiding us lately."

Tweek went silent, but Clyde saw his body stiffen. "Well? You gonna give us an answer or not?" Craig inquired impatiently, his tone uncaring.

Instead of answering, Tweek turned himself to face his ex-friends. The look of indecisiveness Clyde saw on his face made him think that Tweek was debating whether if he should tell them or not about his evasive actions. "C'mon Tweek, you have to tell us," Clyde pushed softly. "If we did anything you didn't like, just tell us and we promise we won't do it again." He ignored Craig furrowing his eyebrows and tightening his lips together from voicing his objection. Clyde was well aware that they did nothing wrong to Tweek, but they must've done something he didn't like for him to suddenly ignore them.

Tweek's blue-green eyes glanced down to the ground, his hands shaking into fists. "I-I wanna tell you guys and trust me neither of you did anything wrong, but...i-if I do then..." The blonde found himself unable to finish his confession, just the mere thought of telling them the reason of his avoidance sent a shiver of fear through his body. Both Clyde and Craig eyed Tweek with a look of concern and confusion. Clyde took a small step forward, the snow beneath his feet crunching under his small weight. Tweek quickly took a step back.

Clyde was offended by the abrupt movement. "Tweek-"

"D-don't come near me!" The boy shouted in a panic, his blonde bangs shadowing his eyes.

"Tweek what the heck is up with you?" Craig demanded with narrowed eyes.

Tweek raised his head with glistening eyes, his cheeks tinged a bubblegum pink. "He doesn't want me to be friends with you two anymore! You'll get killed if keep hanging around me so just leave me alone!" The tears freed themselves from his eyes like a waterfall and he turned and ran away, leaving the two boys stunned into silence.

Clyde's wide eyes watched Tweek's retreating figure vanish into his home from view.  _"Who's...'he'?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Happy early Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	11. A Foreboding Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Wendy and Kyle's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 19th- Wendy  
_

It was a weekend Wendy couldn't find herself enjoying as she laid in her bed. It was thanks to Stan that her distressed mood put worry into her parents.

She was in her room wrapped under her favorite purple blanket, just like in the previous days as well after she was told of the approaching gloom from Stan. She still found herself unable to believe him, there were no strange occurrences as of late aside from the mysterious murder that took place on Sunday. That may be the case but her mind refused to drop the topic, plaguing her thoughts almost every minute of the day. As a result, she began to spend excessive time in her room, allowing herself to be swept into her negative thoughts that only weighed her spirits down even more.

After awhile, Wendy found comfort in her room, something she thought would never happen since it was spacious enough for more than just herself to be occupying it. The Testaburger's weren't rich, but both of her parents worked jobs that paid them exceptionally well in this small town.

Wendy snuggled under the warmth her blanket provided with a silent breath of content, the heat surrounding her room mingling well with her covers. She shut her eyes as she continued to bask in the cozy temperature, close to falling asleep even though it was still morning and she had woken up an hour ago.

Suddenly a numbing pain erupted from her right wrist, feeling as though something hard was slowly embedding itself into her flesh.

The little noirette opened her eyes and sat up in a slouched seiza position facing the window. She raised her wrist and rolled up the sleeve of her pajama shirt to reveal her bracelet. Her skin was slightly pink and faintly printed with hearts from the pressure. Immediately, her lips formed a sad frown as her mind thought of her best friend, whom she had been neglecting lately. Wendy pictured the hurt stares she would receive from Bebe whenever she ignored her, and an equal feeling made it's way into Wendy's chest. She really wanted to tell Bebe about what Stan had told her, but thoughts of the little blonde dismissing her confession kept her from telling. Wendy was positive Bebe wouldn't believe her and she feared that if she did tell her their friendship would be over.

Wendy gently covered her right wrist with her left hand and enclosed the plastic bracelet, somehow the heat radiating from it felt cold to her. The artificial cold seeping into her was a reminder that she wasn't owning up to what the bracelet stood for her and Bebe: best friends.

They had their mother's buy the bracelets for them for that sole reason, visual proof of their inseparable friendship. Wendy and Bebe chose the wristlets they thought would resemble the other more, both girls picked out one with small hearts on them. Their choice of color wasn't perfect, but they weren't far from it nonetheless. Wendy chose a yellow and light purple one she thought represented Bebe the closest, and Bebe chose a purple and silver one she thought represented Wendy the closest. They shared an elated smile as they showed each other what the other picked out.

 _"I don't deserve to wear this anymore,"_ Wendy thought sadly. She lifted her hand from the bracelet, sparing another glance at the object of the friendship she was sure she ruined. She slid it off her wrist and clutched it in her palm, reluctant to let it go. But it was for the best and she knew that...however she only gripped bracelet tighter in her hand, refusing to release it.

A soft knock on her door interrupted her internal debate, Wendy quickly stuffing the bracelet under her pillow and rolling down her sleeve. "Wendy, are you up?" She heard the soft tone of her mother from behind the door.

"Yes," Wendy replied without much thought.

Her door slowly creaked open, and her mother stood halfway into her room. Her lips held the same frown of worry on her young facial feature Wendy saw days ago. "Are you hungry? Breakfast is still on the table," her mother told her in a tone that begged her to leave her room.

Wendy glanced down at her lap, feeling the blood in her legs circulating to one spot and slowly making them numb. "I'm not hungry," she denied quietly.

"Wendy." Mrs. Testaburger stepped further into her room, leaving the door partly open as she walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge beside Wendy. "When are you going to tell me and your father what's wrong? We hate seeing you like this." Wendy's heart ached at her sad tone, contemplating thoughts of whether she should tell her parents or not about what Stan told her raced through her mind.

_"Should I tell her...? Would she believe me?"_

A soft, warm hand interlocked with Wendy's amidst her short pondering, putting a stop to the many more debatable options she had in that brief moment. Orchid eyes glanced up and locked with a pair of magenta ones, her mother's eyes carrying the emotion of concern. "Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me. I'm right here to listen," she said in a dependable tone, giving a gentle squeeze to Wendy's hand.

Wendy looked down at their connected hands, suddenly feeling a small boost of confidence surging through her. There was no denying how unrealistic her confession was going to be once she told her mother, but it didn't matter anymore. Once she got this off her chest, not only would the heavy weight be lifted but she would surely tell Bebe next.

Wendy applied some light pressure onto her mother's hand, a start to letting her know that she was ready to speak. Wendy gazed back into her mother's eyes. "Mom," she was shocked to find her voice filled with emotion after she uttered that one word, as of late she talked as if she were a robot. But another soft knock on her door stopped her from continuing. Red hair peeked in through the small opening of the door before her father showed himself and entered the room.

"Good timing honey, Wendy was just about to tell me what's been troubling her." Her mother invited the man over by patting a spot beside her on the bed, he obliged.

Wendy felt her confidence slowly being replaced with nervousness now that her father was in the room. Her bed dipped down as he placed himself next to her mother, leaning forward to get a better look at Wendy.

Not one word was spoken as a tense silence gradually settled within the room, the two adults eying Wendy with reliable anticipation, waiting patiently for her to speak. Wendy took it upon herself to face the two of them and switch her sitting to Indian-style, her and her mother's joined hands landing on the bed sheets.

A couple of seconds flew by when Mr. Testaburger spoke, breaking the silence between the three of them. "Wendy?" He inquired in a tender tone.

Wendy became conscious of the light pressure in her hand. She swallowed her hesitation, and gazed straight into the eyes of her parents. "Mom, dad," she paused; unable to think of how to go about telling them. Truth be told, she was in the same predicament when it was just her mother in the room. Wendy knew what to say, but not how to start it off. She could feel herself losing her focus of direct eye contact with her parents, eyes lowering down to her and her mother's locked hands.

"Pumpkin, just say what's on your mind. We'll do all we can to help you." Wendy didn't even need to look up at the source of the motherly tone to confirm that it was her mother's, however her father's nod of agreement went unnoticed.

That's when Wendy opened her mouth, keeping her head low. "Stan told me that Beings of Darkness and the darkness were coming to this town soon." The words spewed out of her mouth before her brain could form a better way for her to confess. There was silence, both tense and awkward as her parents took in what their daughter just told them.

The young girl raised her head to spare a glance at the two adults, finding their faces scrunched up in even more concern as they continued looking at her. A few seconds passed by when her mother's lips formed into a hard line and she spoke. "Umm-"

"I'm not lying!" Wendy quickly added before her mother could doubt her. "Stan told me on Monday when I took him to the nurses office, he was-"

"Wendy calm down," Mrs. Testaburger interrupted softly. She gave Wendy's hand one last squeeze before letting go, resting her hands in her lap. "I'm going to say this now, Stan is a child and children your age will say strange things like that and tell others, so please don't take what he said to heart okay?"

Mr. Testaburger nodded in agreement once again. "Your mother's right, whatever these Beings of Darkness are aren't real and you shouldn't feel troubled over it."

Wendy's mother and father stood up from her bed to take their leave. Mrs. Testaburger gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. Her father stood in the doorway with his hand on the doorknob. "You're breakfast will be in the refrigerator whenever you're hungry," he said before closing the door, leaving it slightly open.

Wendy sat in her bed in silence, not knowing what to feel at this moment. She knew her parents weren't going to believe her, or Stan either. Who would believe something like that out of the blue?  _"Maybe I shouldn't either, he was already acting weird that day so he could've been making stuff up,"_ Wendy thought, feeling slightly angry at herself for trusting Stan's bizarre confession. Abruptly, a low but audible rumble emitted from within Wendy's stomach. A blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks at the reminder that she needed to eat.

For what felt like ages to the girl, she got up from her bed and left her room.

* * *

Nighttime came quicker than Wendy expected as she ascended the stairs back to her room. She didn't want to leave the company of her parents, but they never allowed her to stay up no later than midnight on weekends so they sent her to bed.

After Wendy left her room that morning and ate the breakfast her mother cooked, she joined her parents in the living room whom were sat on the couch watching the latest update of the murder on the news. However the information did nothing to lift the worried citizens of South Park's spirits, the killer remained unidentified and Cartman's whereabouts were still unknown.

"What the hell are the police doing?" Wendy's mother had asked angrily at the time. "Since they can't find the killer with the lack of evidence they should have police patrolling the area, I refuse to let our daughter leave the house again with a killer on the loose."

Wendy frowned as her father surfed through the television for them to get their minds off of the update of disappointment. "But what about school?" Wendy asked, fearing that she would remain at home until the killer was taken into custody. With the rate the police were going, Wendy couldn't help but imagine herself still staying in her home after two or three years, still unable to go to school because the cops couldn't do their job properly.

"Me or your father will take you. I've been meaning to take you to school since you first started, I don't trust the bus driver to drive period with how fast she goes half of the time," Mrs. Testaburger said strictly. Mr. Testaburger didn't voice his opinion although he agreed with what his wife said as he continued to move from channel to channel on the television.

After passing about twenty channels, Wendy's father stopped on a movie. The comedic and family-fun movie ended around the mid-afternoon, and they watched their own movies from DVDs until nightfall.

Wendy entered her room with a yawn, closing her door and trudging over to her bed in a tired state. She didn't bother fixing the sheets as she climbed onto the soft mattress, quickly making herself comfortable and drifting off to sleep.

**///**

Soundless footsteps padded lightly against the snow, her white socks camouflaging in the frozen ice beneath her. As she walked with no destination in her mind, she glanced around at her surroundings. She's very aware that she was outside, however her question was, was she in South Park? It was a query she knew she would have to find the answer to on her own as she glimpsed up at the cloudless, midnight sky; only a moon as bright as the sun was shining it's silver rays down below. No houses or any other buildings were in sight as she lowered her gaze, there wasn't anything within the vicinity aside from herself, the moon, and the snow. Nothing could be seen in the distance as she walked forward.

 _"Just where am I?"_ She wondered to herself. She was also curious as to why she felt no coldness coursing into her as she continued her thoughtless trek, in fact she felt nothing. Around her was temperature-less. It was a very strange sensation, but it was relaxing all the same. One would never think that a place void of temperature would feel pleasant.

Wendy stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes when a strong yet gentle breeze abruptly blew past her, blowing her black hair in the process. The wind was also blank of temperature as she moved her black locks from her eyes, using her index finger to place a few strands behind her ears. Once the wind died down, orchid eyes opened and suddenly enlarged at the sight before them.

Stood not far from her was a person clad in all black. Wendy could tell that the individual was a male based off of their physique, however the odd thing was that she couldn't see his face from underneath his hood. More like she couldn't see any color on him apart from all of the black he was wearing, the moon did little to no help of distinguishing his features.

Another breeze drifted past the two, this time making Wendy shiver. The air was chilly yet it still preserved it's gentleness, causing a few strands of Wendy's hair to flutter past her and for the male's black cloak to sway behind him. The cool wind continued to blow at a tender pace, Wendy hugging her torso tight to warm herself even if by a small margin.

Slowly, the man in black raised his forefinger on his left hand, pointing directly at the moon high above Wendy's head. Instinctively, she turned her body around to look at the moon behind her, misinterpreting the man's gesture. Unaware of the danger the moon was about to be in, Wendy cocked an eyebrow in confusion, trying to find out what was wrong with the bright and beautiful orbit.

A low but faint humming sound emitted from behind her. Wendy quickly spun around just in time to see a red energy surface from the tip of the man's finger and increase in size.

Wendy's lips trembled in fear, assuming the man was about to kill her. "W-what are you doing?!" Her panicked demand was left unanswered as the sinister energy from the mystery man's finger ceased growing, an equal sinister of a wide smile making itself visible from underneath the hood. His teeth white and sharp like daggers. Wendy's breath hitched and her eyes grew in horror.

"Goodbye." After uttering that one word in a deep, malicious intent voice, the red energy shot from the man's finger at sonic speed. Wendy's eyes remained wide as a strong, violent current of wind blew against her body, light from around the area quickly vanishing and engulfing the two in darkness.

A deep, eerie chuckle resonated within Wendy's ears as the area before her slowly faded into further darkness.

**///**

Wendy's eyes flew open with tears, and she bolted upright with a scream. She covered her face with trembling hands as she cried into them, her body shaking. Not long after her shriek, thudding footsteps approached her room and her door flew open to reveal her shocked mother, wearing a light blue gown.

"Wendy, what's the matter?" She quickly made her way over to Wendy, and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

Wendy took her hands from her face and hugged her mother as she continued to cry, spouting incoherent words the woman couldn't understand. Mrs. Testaburger caressed her hair. "Shh, calm down pumpkin. It's okay, it was just a nightmare," she cooed, already knowing what frightened Wendy.

After a couple of minutes, the noirette's sobs dimmed down to whimpers and she detached herself from her mother. She wiped at her eyes with a sniffle. "Are you okay now?" Mrs. Testaburger asked softly, placing a hand on Wendy's leg.

With another sniffle, Wendy nodded her head and gazed up at her mother. "I-it was really creepy mom, a-a scary looking man in all black shot the moon and everything went d-dark," she described childishly, still shaken from the nightmare.

Her mother gave her leg a light squeeze with a slight frown of her lips. "Oh Wendy, don't worry. Like I said it was just a nightmare, no scary man will come here nor will the moon blow up," she reassured unknowingly. She got up from the bed and gave Wendy's forehead another kiss. "Now go back to sleep, the sun has yet to arise and I'm not letting you sleep in late tomorrow," Mrs. Testaburger joked lightly. She left the room and shut the door with a faint click.

Wendy rubbed at her eyes again, ridding the remaining tears. Her mother was right, no man in all black was suddenly going to appear and blow up the moon.  _"Why did I have a dream like that anyway?"_ She pondered, not really knowing what else to feel after the strange dream aside from fear. She raised the covers from her legs and got out of bed, heading towards her window.

She split the curtains out of the way and gazed outside. She was greeted by a breath-taking scene. The moon above was an exact replica of the one in her dream, however dozens of clouds and stars joined it in the night sky.

"Wow, so beautiful," Wendy whispered in mesmerized awe. The remnant thoughts of her nightmare were gone the instant her eyes laid upon the scenery before her.

A yawn escaped past her lips, and she placed a hand over her mouth to muffle it. The tranquil view induced her body back into it's weary state. She spared a few seconds glance at the night sky, then closed the curtains. She wandered back onto her bed, and reached under her pillow, feeling the plastic underneath. She smiled as she rested her head on the soft, comfy cushion, and found herself quickly drifting into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

* * *

_August 20th- Kyle  
_

There was one clear word that rang through Kyle's head as the air of despondency wafted around in his dark room: Hell. He was sat on his bed with his back against the wall and his knees bent up to his chest, his arms hugging them tightly. Not a single light was in his room- his lamp and alarm clock were gone, and the light above the ceiling was unusable. His mother took every source of light out of his room, even replacing his curtains with black ones to ensure his room looked like it was part of an abandoned house.

Kyle found his room changed one morning when he had woken from a restless sleep, but he didn't leave to ask his mother about it. She would ignore him as always when she's in her 'possessed' phase so asking her would've been pointless.

He didn't know if the whole house was as dark as his room, but...actually he didn't even want to know. He'd been cooped up in his room since last week up until now. It was his choice yet his parents didn't bother to question why he resorted to doing something like that in the first place, they thought nothing of it and only took care of Ike like he was the only child they had. Leaving Kyle to himself,  _by_  himself in his hellhole of a room. He ate the leftovers of dinner when his family were asleep, which was very last at night.

The little redhead didn't know the time of day or whether it was the afternoon, evening, or night. You could say that he should open his curtains to check, but the thing is, he couldn't. More like he was forbidden to.

Kyle hugged his numbing knees tighter as his face deflated into sadness. He remembered the consequence he received when he  _did_ look out of the window from what felt like hours ago.

**///**

Kyle darted upwards from a dream. He wouldn't call it a nightmare per say, but it was more of a mixture between the two.

Stan was in it. Both he and Kyle were outside during a dark night, clouds slowly shifting and blocking the moon's ray of light, emanating a weak illumination of silver. A cobblestone path underneath their sock covered feet felt hard and invisible of any cold as they walked on it, Kyle was clueless as to where they were or where they were going. Stan was leading the way. This area appeared nowhere near similar to South Park or being apart of Colorado in general.

After a three minute walk, the two young boys stumbled upon a large building surrounded with trees on both sides, spreading farther than the eyes could see.

The architecture of the building was made of concrete colored a blood red with about five black roofs. Each of it's many painted stained glass windows were colored red, blue, purple, and green. A brick staircase colored a foggy grey leading up to the inside was split into two with golden lanterns glowing on the end of each side of the rails, both on the top and bottom. A patch of grass was in the middle of the high-top part of the staircase, an indistinguishable structure of a statue shadowed underneath the stairs.

Kyle's eyes ventured upward at the middle of the building. At the very top of the front roof was a cross placed directly in front of the moon. It's color was questionable, but Kyle assumed it was black due to it being dark under the moon's frail rays.

 _"What is this place?"_ He thought with uncertain feelings as he stared back down at the mansion with Stan. Speaking of his friend, Kyle looked over to his right expecting to see Stan positioned beside him, but the boy was taking slow steps toward the mysterious building. "Hey what the heck are you doing?!" Kyle demanded in a panic. He quickly ran ahead of Stan to stop him from going any further, but the noirette walked straight through him like he wasn't even there.

Kyle froze. He felt the color drain from his face and his body began to tremble like a leaf, hugging his arms with wide eyes at the inexplicable feeling. Not a single word could describe what he had felt after Stan had passed through him, there was a chilling feeling that traveled throughout his entire body.

It wasn't long before the strange experience subsided, more like it completely vanished. Kyle blinked a few times in confusion, releasing his arms and allowing them to drop to his sides.  _"What...was that?"_

"Kyle what're you doing? C'mon!" Kyle's shoulders jumped. He turned his body around to see Stan stood on the staircase's left, beckoning him over with an impatient wave of his hand.

Kyle hesitated as he glanced at the mansion again. The ominous building before him chilling his body all over again, rendering him unable to move. Not even his best friend's look of restlessness provoked him to move his legs. "Stan...why are we going in there for?" Kyle quickly wanted to take back what he had asked when Stan's face changed in that instant. He held a plain, distant look as he eyed Kyle, soon he began to walk away from the staircase, taking another slow pace towards the redhead.

As Stan walked, Kyle noticed an additional strange feature on his friends' face. It was his eyes. They were no longer sapphire, they were blue. Kyle was baffled how Stan's eye color suddenly changed without his noticing, he never once took his eyes off of the noirette. Kyle opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but no sound came out.

He became paralyzed with fear as Stan now stood in front of him, his blue eyes boring holes into his lime-green ones. Neither boy said a word as they stared into each others orbs, Kyle couldn't stop himself from being pulled into an ocean full of blue the longer he gazed.

Kyle wanted to scream, but instead flinched when he felt something cold touch the middle of his forehead. His eyes zoomed out of the trance they were in from Stan's eyes to see his left arm raised, and his forefinger pressing lightly on Kyle's skin. Kyle opened his mouth once again to speak, but his vocal cords refused to work.  _"W-why can't I talk?"_ He thought dreadfully.

Stan's pale lips slightly curved upward. "Kyle...once the moon no longer exists, you will be brought to this building, you won't be alone when you enter and meet the entity inside." Stan's finger trailed down the left side of Kyle's cheek, resting his palm on the redhead's soft skin that was quickly turning pink. "This fate that has been bestowed upon you will change not only your future, but your family and friends as well. An approaching darkness has been looking for your kind for many, many years, and it's underlings known as the Beings of Darkness will come and find you again." Stan's hand traveled down once again, this time stopping at Kyle's chest, directly over his heart. Kyle tried using all of his willpower to talk, he didn't know what Stan was talking about and he desperately wanted to ask the many questions he had. His efforts were fruitless, this time he couldn't even move his lips. "No ones lives will be the same, as you've already noticed your mother has already been claimed by the darkness' underlings as have many others in your town. Soon both your father and brother will be victims as well, your father is slowly being affected as time passes. But you have the power to save them...no  _one_  of them. You must choose who's life you want to save, who's life  _you_  want to protect. Your father's or your baby brother's. You must choose soon or it will be too late for the both of them, and choose wisely."

 _"How do I use my powers?"_ Kyle thought, distraught that he couldn't say it out loud. Stan's hand lingered on Kyle's chest for a short moment before going down, taking Kyle's left hand in his pale one and gripping it firmly. Stan looked down at their connected hands with his lips in a frown. "I know you have a lot of questions you want to ask at the moment, but I'm not the one you should ask them to. Kyle...when you wake up from this, open the curtains to your room. Allow some unwanted light into the darkness."

Stan glanced back up into Kyle's swirling orbs of confusion for a brief second. He turned his body around and began to walk away, lightly tugging on Kyle's hand along the way. The redhead's feet trailed behind the black haired boy, leading them straight to the mansion Kyle himself would come across in the real world one day. He gazed down at their connected hands, Kyle didn't know who was going to accompany him to this place but he hoped it would be Stan. No explanation was needed as long as his super best friend was by his side when he came here. Stan was all he needed.

The two boys stood before the black double doors of the building. Very slowly, both doors opened with an eerie creak in it's wake, revealing nothing inside. Nothing but darkness. Kyle felt nervous as he gazed forward, feeling Stan apply some light pressure onto his hand. He turned his head to meet Stan's eyes. "Push all of your fears and worries behind you. Once you enter, your new life will begin. Are you ready, Kyle Broflovski?"

 _"Am I?"_ Kyle stared back into the darkness, taking Stan's words to heart.  _"Push all of my fears and worries behind me."_ Kyle repeated the words two more times, giving Stan's hand a tight squeeze.

Kyle opened his mouth, suddenly finding his voice. "I'm...ready."

The return of a small smile graced Stan's lips, and he squeezed Kyle's hand in response. Without another word, the two children entered the darkness and the scene faded.

**///**

Kyle rested his head on the wall and closed his eyes, not willing to continue with the flashback. The dream he had was too strange and thinking back on just that was enough for him to put in end to the recollection.

He heaved a sigh, opening his eyes with a deep frown of his lips and freeing his comatose legs from his tight embrace.  _"I did what he told me and I ended up getting in trouble. My mom threatened me by saying that some guy was gonna come here and talk to me if I opened the widow again. Why did he tell me to do that anyway?"_ Kyle softly pushed his legs down on the bed, allowing his blood to circulate properly. "I don't know what's going on anymore. I still don't know about my powers, about this darkness or anything. All of this is too confusing."

Blank lime-green eyes stared ahead in the dark. Was sitting in his unilluminated room something he was going to have to get used to until he was taken to the building he saw in his dream? Was it even a dream? Should he trust what dream Stan told him?

A low, deep rumble shook the house followed by some faint pattering against the window. Kyle found himself slowly relaxing under the soft, rhythmic patterns of the rain, for once during his stay here they received something that wasn't snow in this town. But this upcoming storm was a sign, something bad was going to happen and hopefully not soon.

Kyle turned his head towards his blocked window, staring at the black curtains with narrowed eyes.  _"I wonder if I can change my mom back to the way she was. I don't how to use my powers yet but maybe something will come to mind. Maybe it'll come out on it's own somehow."_

Kyle tried moving both of his legs, experiencing a bone-tingling sensation surge through them, but had no problem lifting them up. His legs were okay to use. He pushed himself towards the edge of his bed and hopped down, walking over to his window. He gave the gloomy colored curtains a stare of determination, placing his hands on the smooth fabric.

"I know I have the power to save my family, I just need a way to unlock them. So mom...I'm counting on you."

Slowly, the curtains opened and light shined into the dark room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	12. Silver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Another long chapter that is longer than chapter 6! Hope it doesn't bore you...This is in Craig's POV. Please enjoy.)

_August 23rd_

Nothing but rain and thunder on a Wednesday morning.

It's been raining non-stop ever since Sunday, and as a result school was cancelled since Monday. Who knew the constant flow of rain would cause all of the snow to liquefy in such a short period of time. Driving on the roads was impossible to steer on, and no one dared to walk on the condensed snow on the sidewalks either. South Park was empty of it's citizens on the outside, but on the inside they were comfortable in their homes, taking shelter from the storm.

The dark grey clouds loomed over the town, casting a somber feel into the air and putting a damper on Craig's mood. His half-lidded amber eyes stared out of the window from his spot on the bed, his curtains allowing access to look outside. He had woken up an hour ago and only got up to use the bathroom and move the curtains to the side. He also checked Stripe's food and water bowls but both containers were untouched much to Craig's surprise. Stripe remained asleep in it's cage, snuggled cozily in the middle. Since then Craig stayed put in his bed. He assumed his parents and Ruby were still asleep since he heard not a single sound from them, so he stayed in his room.

Craig scooted back until he felt the wall behind him, later placing a pillow behind his head and drawing the covers closer to his body. The soft, red fabric planted his body under it's spell of comfortable warmth as he leaned back on his pillow, slowly putting him to sleep once more. The heavy rain and his blanket mixed well with one another. Usually it's the cold and his covers that always made sleeping easier for him.

Craig willed his eyes to stay open, letting his mind help by thinking of something to distract him.

Tweek was the first he thought of.

It was just last Wednesday that he and Clyde had last talked to the boy, demanding they be told the reason of his avoidance.  _"I thought it was gonna be something stupid, but it turned out it to be both weird **and**  stupid," _Craig thought blankly, visualizing the look of fear on the crazy haired blonde's face. At first, Craig felt bad for having a negative attitude towards Tweek, but the feeling quickly changed once Tweek confessed to them.  _"Who's gonna kill us? Who's 'he' Tweek was talking about? I bet he was making all that stuff up, if he didn't wanna be friends with us then he just should've told us flat out."_

After Tweek ran away, Craig glanced over at Clyde who was eying Tweek's invisible figure with lavender eyes wide in shock.  _"I asked Clyde did he believe what Tweek said, but all he told me was that he didn't know."_ After that they went home.

Craig remembered the following day in school, Tweek was absent and Clyde was late. Nothing seemed wrong with the brunette from Craig's viewpoint, so he asked Clyde why was he late once the boy had sat down. "I overslept," was the simple answer he received and it was left at that. Craig wasn't sure if Clyde was lying or not but he assumed Clyde couldn't stop thinking about what Tweek told them the previous day.

Throughout the remainder of school, the two boys hung around with each other as per usual. Or that's what it seemed like to Craig at the time.

A rumble of thunder sounded overhead, snapping Craig from his thoughts with a jump. He didn't mind the rain, but he hated when it thundered or flashed lightning. The deep vibrations always made him think that the earth was going to split in half, and the flash of lightning always appeared so close to his face. Craig couldn't tell if he hated storms or if he feared them since they rarely got this kind of weather here, even rain was scarce.

Craig focused on the window, the clouds seeming even darker than before through the constant heavy pelting against the glass. He flinched when thunder rumbled again, this time it awoke his baby sister. He heard her immediate muffled crying through his door and he groaned, using his pillow to try and block out the noise by covering it over his ears.

"Craig! Check on Ruby for me!" His mother called out over Ruby's constant bawling.

"Whhhhy?" The boy groaned once again.

He released his pillow and sat forward, kicking the covers off of him then placing both his pillow and blanket near the headboard. He got out of bed grumbling as he headed towards his door, and opened it. The hallway was dark and his baby sister's cries blasted his ears at full force behind the closed door of the room she was in. The noirette covered his ears with his hands as he walked to Ruby's room that was situated across the hall from his parents' room. He opened the door just as another rumble of thunder kicked in, causing Ruby to cry even harder.

 _"Oh my God, why do I have to do this when they're right freaking across from each other?"_ Craig complained as he approached his little sister. The inside was small and had little furniture, only her crib colored pink and a nightstand containing a lamp were all that were there. With narrowed eyes of annoyance, Craig wandered over to the lamp and turned it on. Instantly, light flooded the dark room and Ruby's cries ceased; not even a whimper left through her lips.

Craig eyed his baby sister with a raised eyebrow of shock. He ambled over to the crib and peeked through the narrow openings, much to his greater surprise the baby girl was fast asleep with her small hands into fists raised slightly in the air. Craig chuckled and smiled at the cute scene, his annoyance quickly diminishing. Who would've thought simply turning on a lamp would put in end to her crying?

The heavy pattering of the rain against the house filled the silence with an erratic rhythm. Soon after, another bout of thunder rolled in, disturbing Ruby's short sleep.  _"Uh oh,"_ Craig thought nervously. A stifled whimper slipped between Ruby's lips and her grey eyes slowly opened, revealing upcoming tears. Craig had to think fast if he didn't want to feel the wrath of Ruby's crying once again, he had to come up with something to keep her calm.

Pressing his lips together as he thought, he tried recalling what his mother did to ease the girl's crying. She did a lot of things such as cooing her, gently rocking her back and forth in her arms, holding her hand as she softly told her words to silence her, and so on.

Craig grimaced at the thought of doing any of those, however he could only do one out of the three since he was too short to take Ruby out of her crib. He could hold her hand through the narrow bars and coo her back to sleep. A blush of embarrassment painted his cheeks and he released an silent groan.  _"This is gonna be so embarrassing, but mom and dad are in their room so that means they won't see me."_

Craig extended his right arm through the bar closet to Ruby, gently taking her soft, small hand into his. The little girl turned her head to face him with glossy eyes, and a pout freeing small whimpers. Craig stared back with his lips a hard line, thinking desperately for the right words to say. This was his first time calming his baby sister down, his parents were the ones who always quieted her. He knew there would come a time for him to take care of Ruby without the help of his parents, but he never prepared himself for it. Even his mother tried getting him to hold Ruby, whether she was crying or not yet Craig denied the idea of carrying her.

A loud squeal of a giggle jolted Craig out of his thoughts. His eyes stared at Ruby, wide in bewilderment. The girl giggled again at the baffled face Craig was making, overlapping the thunder that came in. Craig blinked, confused as to why she started giggling all of a sudden. Perhaps he did something unconsciously amidst his pondering that caused the strawberry-blonde haired girl to laugh, but what did he do?

Craig furrowed his brows as he thought once again, his puzzled expression triggering another laugh from Ruby.

 _"Wait."_ Craig puffed out his cheeks and enlarged his eyes causing another roar of laughter to break free from Ruby's lips.  _"So I was making a funny face that made her laugh,"_ he realized.

He deflated his cheeks and reduced the size of his eyes while letting go of Ruby's hand. The girl's face went sour, lips quivering and eyes beginning to water. Craig was aware that she was about to start crying again, so he quickly brought his hands up to his face, changing his expression into something he was sure to make Ruby laugh again.

After a couple of seconds, he opened his hands to reveal his tongue stuck out and his eyes glancing up at the ceiling. Ruby giggled with her arms flailing around in excitement. Craig covered his face a second time and showed his sister a different funny face, Ruby laughing and cutely clapping her hands. He repeated the process as minutes flew by, the occasional rumble of thunder not fazing Ruby in the slightest as she enjoyed the faces Craig showed her. The inconsistent rainfall changed into a fast yet steady tempo.

Craig felt that he was on his tenth funny face by now, the soreness of his facial muscles urging him to stop and take a break. Much to his great relief, Ruby yawned mid-laugh and squirmed around on her back with her eyes closed. Closing his eyes, Craig relaxed his face and massaged his cheeks with gentle pressure, feeling the tightness slowly loosening. After a couple of soothing, circular motions on his cheeks, his face was free of any cramps and he opened his eyes.

A small smile spread across Craig's lips as he stared at yet another adorable display of his sister, her face was to the ceiling, one hand resting over the slow rise and fall of her chest, and the other resting near her head.

"Aww that was so cute."

Craig had to cover his mouth with both hands to keep himself from screaming at the sudden voice behind him. He turned around to meet the pleased look of his mother stood in the doorway, clad in her white pajamas. Craig lowered his hands to his sides and breathed a quiet sigh, his cheeks a light pink. His mother stepped into the room with a soundless giggle, stopping next to Craig and lightly ruffling his disheveled hair.

"Had fun?" She asked in a joking tone, gently patting his head a few times before pulling her hand away.

"Yeah I guess so," Craig replied half-hardheartedly as his sheepish blush faded away. He was indifferent to admit that he did have a good time entertaining his sister. His mother most likely put him up to this, but he wasn't as annoyed as he was in the beginning with her. Craig turned around and looked at his sleeping baby sister, her peaceful state making his eyes feel heavy causing him to yawn.

"Tired?" His mother asked, her eyes on her daughter.

Craig grunted in reply and rubbed his eyes. He took his leave stating he was heading back to his room. "I'll cook something for dinner later so if you get hungry, eat a snack," he heard his mother say.

"Okay," he responded tiredly.

He entered his room and closed the door, making his way over to his bed, but halted by the sound a squeak. Tired eyes directed themselves to the cage resting on the nightstand. Craig walked in front of the cage. "What is it buddy? Need a refill?" He asked, locking eyes with Stripe through the glass, silently hoping that it wasn't the case. Stripe went quiet as it observed Craig, the noirette stood on his toes as he checked his pet's bowls. Both containers maintained their previous condition when he examined them earlier, unconsumed.

Craig frowned, lowering himself back on the soles of his feet. "Stripe," he said in disappointment, but he said nothing more as he stared back at his guinea pig.  _"I'm gonna have to tell mom about this, but I'll do that later."_ Craig walked away and over to his bed, fixing his sheets and pillow before crawling in. He made himself comfortable, closing his eyes and allowing the heavy shower of the rain outside lull him to sleep.

A pair of beady black eyes watched his figure. A deep rumble slightly shook the house.

**/**

An unknown liquid splashed onto Craig's nose, it felt cold. His face twitched a little before his eyes slowly opened to the sight of a sky filled with grey clouds. He was laying on his back, the surface beneath him felt hard and uncomfortable. Blinking his eyes, he sat up with a groan, his body feeling oddly exhausted. He felt as if he had just ran a marathon or two. Craig inspected his surroundings with partly opened eyes.

 _"W-why am I outside?"_ He thought in confusion, his eyes widening all of the way and his sensation of exhaustion gone.

Craig didn't know where he was, nothing but faintly lit street lamps stationed on each side of a path covered in snow were around him, the trail stretching further ahead and behind him.  _"What is this place?"_  Craig placed a bare hand on the snow, the frozen vapors were as hard as a rock and blank of it's usual temperature. It wasn't ice yet it felt like it, it's texture was that of snow. He balled his hand into a fist and knocked on the hard surface, the sound it produced was hollow but loud in his ears due to the silence around him.  _"The heck?"_  Craig raised an eyebrow of curiosity for a short moment, staring forward and standing on his feet. His balance was wobbly and he stumbled some. He quickly caught himself by spreading his arms out wide like an eagle. He stayed in that position until he was sure his footing was stable enough to walk.

Bare feet padded forward along the solid, thick snowy pathway without a destination. Amber eyes wandered in every direction, soaking in every strange but little detail of the area around them. Craig longed for a sense of direction, walking around aimlessly wasn't something he was accustomed to. Especially in a place he had no clue where he was in. The metal street lamps gave off an eerie essence, their red lights were something Craig had never seen before. He couldn't tell if the ash colored clouds above were going to bring forth snow or rain, the sudden liquid that landed on his nose minutes prior made him think the latter.

Craig hugged his right arm in a tense grip, not liking the feeling of being alone in this unknown world.  _"...I wanna go home."_ But he walked on, keeping his leisure pace.

Through the fog in the distance, two things gradually appeared into Craig's vision. A small creature and a house. The black haired boy stopped in his tracks and glanced back and forth between the little creature and the house, both puzzled and on edge. Both of their features were faint and unclear to decipher, Craig wanted to get a better look but a strong sense of cautiousness kept him from doing so. Instead, he stood in place, keeping a close eye on the animal not far from him.

However, there was no need for him to move when small skittering footsteps approached him instead. Craig narrowed his eyes in nervous anticipation as the animal's familiar brown and white fur came into his view, it's black eyes trained intently on the raven haired boy.

Craig's eyes widened in unbelievable shock. "S-Stripe?" He gasped, without his noticing his feet inched forward to his pet.

Stripe's nose twitched upward once the two were in front of each other. Craig bent down and took his pet in his hands, lifting Stripe up to his face. "Stripe what the heck are you doing here?" Craig asked, although it was pointless to talk to an animal that couldn't speak. There were times when Craig actually understood Stripe, it would be a simple yes or no question, and one squeak or two from his pet was enough for him to comprehend what it said.

 _"It would be really cool if Stripe could talk, but I know that won't ever happen,"_ Craig thought with a disappointed frown.

 **"If that is what you want, then you shall have."** Craig nearly screamed at the voice inside his head. It was a boy, their tone young and gentle. Craig looked around with wide eyes, trying to locate the source of the voice that spoke to him. He lowered Stripe down to his stomach, ending up looking at the house that was still in the distance.

"What the-"

 **"It was me, Stripe, Master Craig,"** the boyish voice informed.

Craig raised Stripe back to eye level, his orbs still enlarged in shock. "Y-you? Stripe it was you?!" He questioned incredulously.

Stripe's nose twitched again.  **"Yes, you yearned for me to speak and that is what you received. I can now talk to you through telepathy."**

Craig couldn't believe what he had just heard, after just one thought his pet could all of a sudden communicate with him verbally. "O-oh okay," he responded lamely, his eyes returning to their normal size. "Soooo umm what's with you calling me Master, and can you tell me where we are or what this place is?"

 **"Yes, I can answer those however I can't tell you much. I am your pet aren't I? So it's only respectable that I call you my Master."** Craig nodded in understanding.  **"Where we are vaguely resembles the place you will come across very soon. As you've already noticed the street lamps here shine red lights, they resemble a warning, and it's something you must take heed in when you discover the house at the end of this path,"**  Stripe answered wisely.

Craig remained silent as he took in every detail of Stripe's answer, unsure on what to say let alone understand.  **"I know this comes off as confusing and hard to believe Master Craig, but worry not, all if not most will become clearer to you in the near future. Not just you, but your friends as well will be apart of a life-changing journey."**

Amber eyes watched Stripe with skepticism. "What do you mean?" Was all Craig asked. He didn't know what else say in his confused state.

**"Master Craig, earth is in grave danger. An approaching gloom known as the darkness has begun to make it's move, but at a slow pace. It's underlings are the Beings of Darkness, and they have already taken action. A few citizens in your hometown have already lost themselves to the dark, but to prevent more innocent people from falling victim, you must train and rid them off with powers of your own. You and your friends will be trained by spirits known as Inner Guardians, they have been roaming around for years and vary in appearance. There are three types: Dark, Light, and Mixed. I am a Light Guardian."**

There was silence on Craig's end once again, his face scrunching up in disbelief as he processed what he had been told. This was all too sudden, how was he supposed to grasp all of this information in one go? The earth suddenly gets threatened by darkness, the dark's minions had already claimed a few people in his hometown, and now he and his friends were to train and fight them off with the help of their Inner Guardians...?

 _"Wait...Beings of..Darkness?"_ Craig's orbs slowly widened.  _"Wendy told me about them, that the darkness and Beings of Darkness were coming to our town. Stan wasn't lying...was he?"_

"Stripe, a friend already told me about them. About the darkness and Beings of Darkness. At first, I thought it was a stupid, made up lie but...hearing it from you must mean they're real. That Stan and Wendy weren't lying after all." Craig felt his legs growing heavy and he dropped to his knees. His eyes were shaking as they stared ahead at the house down the path, his mouth slightly open.

_"That means...monsters are real..."_

**"I see,"** Stripe hummed softly. The guinea pig crawled out of Craig's weakened hold, planting it's paws on the rock solid snow.  **"It seemed you needed a little more convincing to be able to believe the matter, and I came to you just in time."** Stripe eyed the indistinguishable house in the distance.  **"Master Craig, what I'm about to say is really important and I need you to listen closely."**

"M-monsters are r-real..."

A sudden gust of wind picked up, blowing a bitter cool air around the two. Stripe's whiskers and fur swayed in the current, it spun itself around to face Craig, who was in a daze.  **"Master Craig?!"**

Craig's lips curled upward, his smile crazed yet forced. A hysterical laugh pushed it's way out from in between his lips, his shoulders shaking from the exertion. "Monsters...th-they're real. They exist...we're gonna die," he mumbled, delusional. The street lamps began to flicker at a rapid pace as the harsh wind weakened the candle within their glass panes, the clouds turned a shade darker.

 _ **"This isn't good, he's awakened his powers in a unstable condition,"**_ Stripe thought, troubled.  ** _"I have to calm him down before..."_**

Stripe scampered over to Craig with some difficulty, the freezing wind was too strong for Stripe's small body to handle. The little animal applied a great amount of firm pressure on the snow with it's paws, struggling to keep itself on land.  **"Please, you must calm down! You're not going to die, you will fight for your life and the lives of the humans all over the world! If you keep this up, you will create a drastic change in the future that will effect not only yourself but your friends as well! So please calm yourself Master Craig, I'm begging you!"**

Sadly, Stripe's words fell upon deaf ears. Craig still stared forward with delirious, dull eyes.  ** _"Damn it, seems words won't work. Looks like I'm going to have calm him myself...doing so will change only his future however. But it is a risk I'm willing to take for my Master,"_  **Stripe thought loyally. Black eyes glowed in a radiant color of white, a transparent barrier suddenly enclosing Stripe's body and lifting the animal into the air, protecting it from the hurricane-like wind. Stripe levitated up to Craig's eyes.

**"I am both your pet and Inner Guardian, Craig Tucker. For the sake of your future, I will change it for you. With my own power...and life. From here on and in the future, we will become one. My spirit will reside in you and aid you on your journey to defeat the darkness and the Beings of Darkness."**

The clear barrier glowed white as Stripe's eyes, burying the little guinea pig in a ball of light. The little ball traveled to Craig's right eye, and slowly entered his darkened amber orb. In that instant, the wind ceased and the street lamps light changed in color. The red was replaced with black, the dark grey clouds were an ominous mixture of black and red. The house that was in the mist was gone.

Craig held a blank stare as he gazed at nothing, feeling a slight twinge in his right eye but made no effort to flinch or indicate that it hurt him. He just sat there on his knees as the world around him slowly faded into darkness. A single snowdrop fell from the odd colored clouds before they too vanished into nothingness. The little ice particle shined brightly in the dark.

Craig's eye suddenly reacted to the white snowflake, their colors corresponding but only for a brief moment before fading with the world that no longer existed.

**/**

"R-ig, Cr-ig wa-e up!"

Craig's ears picked up the faint voice of a woman along with rapid, pattering sounds against glass through the darkness of his eyelids. The nudge against his shoulder wasn't so gentle. His head felt heavy and it throbbed to a point where it started agitating his right eye. With a groan, Craig stirred from his deep sleep and slowly opened his left eye, his right eye pained him too much to open it.

Through the blurry vision of one eye, he caught a faint glimpse of a small light protruding from the darkness.  _"W-where am I? And why does my eye hurt so much?"_ He thought, his memory hazy. He wanted to scream at the agonizing pain, but instead his throat produced another groan, this time in pain. Slowly, he cocked his head to his left. A lamp, an animal cage, and a person's head resting in between the folds of their arms on his bed entered his view. He recognized the blonde hair instantly.

 _"Mom? Oh yeah, I took a nap but looks like I ended up falling asleep,"_  Craig thought. He shifted lightly in bed, trying to sit up. The moment he moved, his mother's head shot upright like a bullet, her midnight blue eyes glossy.

"Oh thank God you're finally awake," she said, relieved but her lips were a frown. "I-I have some bad news sweety, it's about...Stripe."

 _"Stripe?"_ An image of the brown and white guinea pig from Craig's dream flashed in his mind. He remembered how his pet could suddenly talk to him after just a mere, random thought of his, it still baffled him even now. It's boyish, gentle tone sweet to his ears. He also remembered the information Stripe told him, the furry animal basically confirmed that not only South Park was in danger, but the whole world was as well.

The darkness and Beings of Darkness were real.

Craig felt dread hit the pit of his stomach at the bad news his mother was going to tell him, what could've happened to Stripe he wondered nervously. His mother remained silent as she wiped at her eyes with one hand to stop any tears from spilling. Afterwards she gently took Craig's hand into hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. She released a breath, and looked down at their hands.

"Stripe...has passed away."

A rumble of thunder sounded and shook the house in it's wake. Craig eyed his mother with only his one eye wide in disbelief. Had he heard her correctly? Were his ears playing tricks on him, deceiving his hearing? "Mom...what are you talking about? Stripe isn't dead," he said, more like he told himself to relieve himself of the increasing dread wallowing in his stomach.

His mother formed her lips into a sad, thin line. She gazed up and locked eye contact with Craig. "Come and see for yourself," she insisted softly. With a gentle tug on his hand, Craig obliged by sitting up and his mother stood on her feet and backed away, giving Craig some space to stand in once he's out of bed. He could feel his heartbeat quickening at an anxious pace as he sat on the sat edge of his bed, clutching his mother's hand and hopping down to the carpeted floor. His bare feet trudged across the smooth fabric, making their way to the animal cage perched atop of his nightstand.

His mother released his hand and took a step back, allowing him the privacy he was going to need. Craig stared down at his feet, wanting to look at Stripe's condition with both eyes, so he tried opening his right eye. In that instant attempt, a sharp pain erupted in the center of his pupil. Craig hissed and clutched his eye, legs shaking but he urged them to hold him on his feet.

"Craig what's wrong?" His mother asked, concerned. She took one small step forward only to halt by Craig's outstretched arm.

"I-it's nothing," he lied. "I-I'm gonna look now."

His mother frowned. "Okay," she said, backing down.

 _"No matter how much my eye hurts, I will see whether Stripe is dead or not. I...need to know,"_ Craig thought, his nervousness exceeding his determination. He exhaled a deep sigh, removing his hand from his stinging eye. He took a moment to prepare himself for what he was about to see, praying to God that nothing was wrong with Stripe, that his mother was lying about his animal friend being dead.

Slowly, Craig raised his head.

Curled into a ball in the middle of the cage was Stripe, it's back facing the glass. Craig inched closer to his pet that laid unmoving, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, putting additional pain on his right one. He ignored it, Stripe was all that was on his mind at this moment. Stripe was all that mattered.

Craig practically had on his face on the cage as he observed Stripe, the guinea pig showing no signs that it was breathing.  _"N-no...Stripe you can't be..."_

A choked sob forced it's way out from Craig's trembling firmly pressed lips. He lowered his head, his black bangs shadowing his eyes. He balled his shaking hands into fists at his sides, shoulders shaking from the constricted sobs in his throat. He felt both sorrowful and angry at the lost of his friend, he couldn't even fathom how Stripe died so suddenly.

No...Craig did know, he knew the cause of Stripe's death...and he was to blame.

"Stripe hasn't been eating his food lately, all he drank was his water and that was it," he recalled in a whisper. He directed his anger towards himself, when he first witnessed Stripe ignoring his food he should've told his parents about it that same day.

_"I was gonna tell my mom today...but it was too late. I'm such an idiot."_

Angry tears streamed down from Craig's left eye, the eyelid on his right blocking the salty liquid any freedom. He dropped to his knees as he cried silently, his mother rushing to his side and embracing him. "I'm so sorry Craig...so sorry," she apologized sadly.

Craig cried into his mother's shirt, images of the time he spent with Stripe rushing through his mind. He remembered his first task at taking care of Stripe: his parents were in his room at the time of him feeding his pet, keeping a watchful eye on him. Craig felt no pressure for it was easy and simple, it was like a natural feeling to him. Soon, his parents allowed him to feed Stripe in seclusion.

 _"Why Stripe...why did you suddenly stop eating? Why?"_ A dull ache settled within Craig's heart, his right eye throbbing all over again. He could feel a warm liquid welling up behind his eyelid, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered to him anymore.

Craig's sobs ceased after awhile, his entire body feeling empty and lacking the sensation to shed anymore tears.  _"I'm sorry Stripe, I'm sorry that you died because of me,"_ he thought with a numb mind. An earth-shaking clap of thunder shook every fiber of the house, the expeditious rainfall continuing to beat down on the Tucker's home. His mother hugged him tighter in her arms.

"I killed him," the words flew out of Craig's mouth on it's own accord, but it was true. His senseless mind couldn't keep his lips from voicing the truth.

His mother pulled back slightly to look at him, suddenly she gasped and her eyes widened in horror. "O-oh my God! Craig your eye!"

"I killed Stripe, he died because I didn't take care him properly,"Craig admitted monotonously, ignoring his mother's panicked cry. The warm liquid he felt within his eye was sliding down the side of his right cheek, a metallic sent penetrating his nostrils. His amber eye dulled in color, unresponsive to the familiar fluid smearing down his skin. _  
_

"Laura what's the matter?" Craig's father burst into his room with a worried gleam in his peanut brown eyes, a whimpering Ruby in his arms.

Craig's mother separated herself from Craig and stood on her feet. She placed a closed hand over her chest as she turned to face her husband with equal worry. "We need to take Craig to the hospital, his eye suddenly started bleeding," she explained, concerned for her son's health. Thomas stepped further inside, handing Ruby over to Laura then making his way over to Craig.

Craig remained still when felt a hand on his shoulder, his nightstand holding his unfocused attention. "Craig, look at me," his father ordered.

It took a couple of seconds for Craig to do as told, slowly facing the man with an expressionless stare. "Dear Lord," the man grimaced, his voice low. He removed his hand from Craig's shoulder, and hovered it towards the boy's right eye.

**"Don't let him touch your eye!"**

Color returned to Craig's orb. He flinched and scooted away from his father, his back hitting the wooden bedstead. That voice just now, it sounded very familiar to Craig but where had he heard them before?

"Craig." The noirette looked over to his father, the man holding his hands up in a defensive manner. "I'm sorry, I wasn't going to touch your eye," he said, earnest.

Craig didn't respond as he lowered his gaze to the floor, then raising his right hand up to his cheek. With gentle fingers, he touched the blood that he still felt in his right eye. The liquid felt cold under his touch, but warm under his eyelid. He brought his bloody fingers to his one eye's view, suddenly a strange feeling stirred within him. His eye no longer pained him, instead a new sensation took place.

 _"W-why does my eye feel...so cold?"_ Craig thought, partially horrified yet slightly curious.

"Craig, we're going to take you to the hospital," his mother declared, already approaching the doorway.

"No, we can't," his father quickly opposed with a frown, standing on his feet. "There's no way we can drive in that downpour." He gestured toward the window, the curtains blocking the view of the outside but the constant pattering against the glass was enough indication that the rain was not safe to drive in nor was it letting up anytime soon.

Laura frowned in dismay. "But what are we going to do? We don't have a first-aid kit to tend to his eye."

Thomas' lips formed into a hard, thin line as he thought over the question. Craig stared at the scarlet liquid on his fingers with a transfixed gaze, seemingly not worried about his eye as much as his parents were.

 **"Master Craig, you need to go a room where you can be alone. It is almost time,"** the same voice said within Craig's mind.

 _"Eh?"_ The boy's body stiffened, and a pang of familiarity struck him once again.

 **"Please hurry, do not let your family witness your awakening,"** the voice pleaded.  _  
_

Craig slowly moved his body, carefully rising up on his feet, using his nightstand for support. He glanced inside of his animal cage once he'd balanced himself into a standing position, feeling fresh tears well up in his left eye. He quickly looked away.  _"Stripe...I'm really sorry..."_

**"You have no reason to apologize, you did nothing wrong."**

"S-Stripe...?" The tears poured out from Craig's eye. His mind flashed back to his dream, recalling the deserted world he ended up in and how he longed for some company or a hint of direction to guide him. He thought he was going to be wandering around without a purpose for ages, but Stripe appeared before him in the nick of time to put an end to his aimless wander. The house beyond the fog would remain a mystery to him, all he knew was that he was to be cautious the day he came across it. **  
**

"Don't worry son, we'll give Stripe a proper burial once the rain stops," his father told him. Craig nodded his head solemnly. He wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. Fresh blood slipped under Craig's right eye, this time the pain he experienced was unbearable. He cried out as he clutched his eye, hunching over but refusing to fall on his knees.

**"Time is nearing it's end, I'll transport you somewhere so you can awaken without them seeing."**

"Craig honey, what's wrong?" Craig's mother asked in concern. Both of his parents approached him, but a sudden white light stopped them in their tracks.

Weightless and cold, those were what Craig felt as the beautiful yet blinding light slowly engulfed him whole.

"CRAIG!" His parents exclaimed. Ruby watched him in silence for a few moments, turning away and burying her face into her mother's neck.

Before the light completely swallowed him, Craig stood upward and faced his family as he dropped his hand down to his side, a small smile on his lips. "Don't worry, I'll come back."

With a widened smile, both he and the light vanished from the room.

* * *

Craig's eye shot open only to quickly close at the brightness of a sky. He opened his eye once again but only slightly. Once the vibrant light no longer obscured his vision, he opened his eye all of the way.  _"Where am I?"_ He thought, curious as he glanced around. It wasn't easy looking around with one eye but he managed to spot a few white pillars lined on each side of him. Their height seemed to reach all the way up into the sky and further beyond. A large, white temple was positioned at the end of the column of pillars, two standing angel statues placed at the bottom of the large staircase on each side.

"Wow," Craig gasped.

"Master Craig," a soft voice said from behind him. Craig spun around to see a boy who appeared around his age, or maybe a year or two older. He wore white clothing that practically blended in with the background. What disturbed Craig, however was the boy's appearance. He had brown hair with the front part dyed white, and his eyes were black.

_"H-he looks like-"_

"We meet again, this time in real life," Stripe said, his lips a small smile.

Craig found his voice lodged inside his throat, he could only gape at his friend that was once a guinea pig in stunned silence. Stripe chuckled at his expression and walked over to Craig. "I know you're greatly shocked about this, but..." He stopped once he's inches away from the noirette, spreading his arms out wide. "This is my true form."

"W-wha...," Craig's mouth opened and closed like a fish struggling for air, his brain trying desperately to comprehend this situation. A sudden flick to his forehead stopped his humorous attempt at talking. Craig winced and rubbed his forehead with tears stinging his eye.

Stripe chuckled once again, but his face turned serious afterwards. "Master Craig, your right eye is now your source of power that I have placed into you. I know that you don't remember much from your dream, but your uncontrolled actions caused me to take matters into my own hands. You see, your future has changed and starting now your life will flow based off of your decisions and actions. It hasn't changed entirely however, you and your friends will still fight the darkness and Being of Darkness."

Stripe stopped to give Craig some time to digest the new information. After a minute or so, Craig's eyebrows furrowed. "Okay, but what about...what about you? You're dead aren't you?" He inquired softly.

Stripe nodded, his expression neutral. "Yes I am, but it's nothing to be sad over. Thanks to that I'm able to stay by your side in my real form, and help aid you to defeat the darkness."

Craig wanted to be happy at the fact that Stripe was going to remain with him from now on, but he felt regrettable for taking Stripe's life to begin with. He lowered his gaze to the white tiles beneath, scowling at his reflection. "I killed you," he balled his hands into fists. "This wouldn't have happened if I had of fed you properly! You would still be alive!"

A soft, cold hand on his bloody cheek gently raised his head, his teary eye was forced to look at Stripe who was smiling sadly at him. "I  _am_  still alive...inside  _you_  Master Craig. I made an appearance in the real world to be closer to you."

Craig sniffled. "B-but why weren't you eating whenever I fed you?" He asked mournfully.

Stripe lowered his hand back to his side, keeping his sad smile. "Inner Guardian's are spirits," he reminded. "Food and water aren't a necessity for us. I only drunk the water you gave me because I didn't want to worry you any further, I didn't die by starvation or anything. I'm the one who took my own life."

Craig's one eye widened in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember I live inside you now, the dream you had would've negatively effected your future due to the instability of your awakening powers. I had to act and change the future for you, we are now one Master Craig. You now posses my powers that are of a Light Guardian, and your eye is the main source," Stripe explained, his smile untroubled.

Craig eyed his human pet with a sense of both relief and uncertainty. He was relieved that Stripe was still alive, just not in the real world. It was confusing to Craig how Stripe was dead on earth but alive inside of him, in fact it was too much for Craig to be taking in, it's still one day after all. However with all of this happening in such a short time frame, and the constant storm that hadn't changed since Sunday, Craig couldn't help but feel that the day was already long gone.

"I see...Oh yeah, where the heck are we?" Craig questioned with serious curiosity.

"This is a realm for Light Guardians, it's kind of a replica of Heaven in a way. The temple down there," Stripe pointed a finger past Craig at the big temple. "Is where our Lord, or in human terms, God resides in as well as his subordinates."

Craig spun himself around to look at the large building again. "Wow..."

"But anyway, we must hurry and return you back to your family. I'm pretty sure they're worried sick about you right now," Stripe said.

"Yeah, they most likely are," Craig turned back around to face Stripe. "So how do I awaken my powers?"

Stripe grinned. "Simple, just open your eye."

Craig blinked. "Just...open my eye?" He repeated, clearly doubtful.

Stripe nodded. "In order for me to stabilize your powers, I had to give you both my own power and life. I choose your eye simply because it is the least source the Beings of Darkness would expect your power to come from, however...there was a cost to doing so," he ended sadly.

"W-what was it?" Craig asked, his voice shaking with nervousness.

"Open your eye, and I will show you," Stripe concluded.

Craig formed his lips into a line, but asked no more questions. He was eager to know what the exchange could've been, for some inexplicable reason Craig wasn't scared of what it could be. Whatever the change may be, he was sure Stripe was going to be with him and help him through it.

Craig closed his left eye, took a deep inhale, and exhaled through his nose. With slow and cautious movement, he opened both of his eyes. To his great surprise, no pain coursed through him from his right eye. In fact, during his time here he felt that his body and mind were at ease. Stripe did say that this place was a replication of Heaven, so maybe this was what the real Heaven felt like in truth Craig figured.

Craig began to see the bright world in a new perspective now that both of his eyes were open. Suddenly, a calm breeze came through from the many clouds in the sky, softly blowing both boys' hair and clothing.

"Beautiful," Stripe mused with a smile.

 _"B-beautiful?"_ Craig thought with a light blush. "S-so umm what now?" He asked awkwardly. He didn't feel any different than normal.

Stripe motioned for him to look down at the floor with a nudge of his head. Craig did so and nearly fainted at what he saw.

His right eye was no longer amber, instead it was a beautiful silver. Just like Stripe describe. Craig got down on his knees to get a better look at his reflection, the crystal, clear tiles showing him only the truth in his appearance. He raised a tentative hand towards his right eye. "S-Stripe...what happened to my eye?"

"That was the cost to me giving you my powers Master Craig, but don't worry, your eye will alternate when use your powers only. It's not a permanent change. Once I send you back home, your eye will return back to it's original color," Stripe explained.

Craig was relieved once more, and he rose to his feet. It would've been extremely difficult for him to explain this to both his parents and Clyde. "Alright, now it's time to send you back. Also please do not tell your parents of this, I'll erase their memory of what happened today," Stripe said.

Craig frowned, reluctant to go but he knew he had no choice in the matter. He walked over to Stripe and embraced him, surprising Stripe for a brief moment but he hugged him back.

"I'm glad we met Stripe," Craig whispered.

"Yes, me too," Stripe agreed.

They separated, both smiling at each other. Slowly, Craig's vision began to see white, it was brighter than his surroundings. Craig urged his eyes to stay open as the light increased it's illumination. Before his view was nothing but whiteness, he saw Stripe's lips moving, slowly wording each syllable.

"If you ever come across Kyle Broflovski...you must end his life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	13. Misfortune Pt.2- Alone and Commence The First Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Oh man...how I reaaallly wanted to post a Stenny Christmas one-shot. I could've made it a special chapter in this fic, but it would've had to been friendship since they're still children. Ugh but anyway this chapter is in Tweek and Kenny's POV, also 'he' and 'his are how Tweek sees the Being of Darkness since he doesn't know what they are yet until later in this fic. Please enjoy)

_August 24th- Tweek  
_

Blood painted every corner of the Tweak's living room. It was no longer a rich red, the long exposure outside of the human body darkened their color to that of mud. The miasma of vomit-inducing decay and the metallic scent of rusty, old metal traveled around the air and up Tweek's nostrils. But the stomach churning odor was something he'd grown used to. He hadn't moved from his spot on the floor since the slaughter took place. The room was dark, curtains were drew together blocking out the Thursday morning sky, but the storm clouds wouldn't have provided enough light to brighten his surroundings anyway. Not that it was needed.

Dark bags smeared with days old blood were under Tweek's dull blue-green eyes as they gazed, blankly, at the pool of blood by the feet of two adults. His knees were pulled up to his chest that were tainted with little splatters of blood, a weak grip holding them close.

It was days ago when it happened, last Wednesday to be exact when 'he' came and killed his parents. Tweek knew the reason, his brain wouldn't allow him to forget it.

Unconsciously, the boy's numb mind forced him to recall the life-changing event.

**/**

When the crazy haired boy left behind a shocked Clyde and Craig that day and ran to his home, what he didn't expect was to find both his mother and father held hostage in the living room once he'd opened the door.

Tweek stood frozen in the doorway and blinked, the cool wind gradually pulling the door to a close. He then wiped at his eyes with feverish hands, ridding the tears so he could clear his blurry vision. He kept them closed for a moment as soon as his eyes were dry, praying that what he saw a brief second ago was just a hallucination. The door finally slid shut without a click.

Slow with timid anticipation, Tweek's blue-green eyes opened to see both of his parents sat on the couch with their wrists and legs tied together, their backs positioned straight like a board to reveal the object detaining them. Instead of ropes or any other material that came from this world, black chains bound both limbs securely to prevent them from moving. Never before had Tweek seen any metal as black as coal before, he could see the wickedness evaporating from them in a dark haze. A black, misty-like cloth covered their mouths, silencing their whimpers of fear similar to a sound proof barrier.

"Mom, dad!" Tweek cried as he rushed over to his parents with widened eyes of horror, thinking a robber was lurking in their home and stealing their stuff. But Tweek couldn't have been more wrong, or rather he wished it were a robber that entered their house.

Creeping out of the shadows of the hallway next to his parents' right, was 'him'. It was as though the shadows themselves were walking on two feet, entering the light of the living room that failed to extinguish the darkness that surrounded 'him'.

"I've been waiting for you, Tweek Tweak," the deep voice announced, their tone practically seeping with teasing animosity as they stopped and faced the two adults with concealed eyes. Tweek found his voice caught in his throat as he gaped at the so-called man that turned his life upside down, thoughts as to why the individual was here remained inside his head, words weren't going to be leaving his mouth anytime soon. "As you've already noticed, your parents here are held under my care. Do you know why?" 'He' asked.

Tweek gulped and took a wobbly step back, his legs nearly ready to collapse from the panic he was undergoing. He wanted to voice his answer, he  _really_  did although he didn't know why his parents were in this sudden predicament, but fear made it impossible for him to reply. All he could do was stare and await the purpose of 'his' being here from the man himself.

A deep chuckle came from invisible lips. Suddenly the lights began to flicker at an alarming rate before dying out, coating the area in faintly seeable darkness. "Seems a cat has gotten your tongue, but it doesn't matter," the mystery male chuckled again. "Sadly I can't stay for very long so I'm going to have to make this brief, but before I get started..." Their words paused as unseen eyes directed themselves to Tweek, the little boy's body stiffening in that instant. "Clyde Donovan and Craig Tucker, the two boys I told you to toss aside. I must say you were off to a really good start, ignoring them and hanging out with that Leopold kid as if they were never apart of your life to begin with. I never knew you could be so cold to your own friends like that little Tweek, but that cold heart of yours seems to have thawed some today. I'm pretty sure you know why that is, don't you?"

 _"You made me ignore them! I had to or you would've killed them!"_ Tweek felt his heart ready to burst through his chest, the horrified stares he's receiving from his parents made his racing heart lurch. He gulped again, nodding his head at the question. He wanted to bolt out of the house with his parents in tow, where they went was something he didn't really care for. As long as they were away from this monster, they could end up in a different state for all he cared. So long as they were far enough away from 'him'.

"Good," the strong, masculine voice affirmed. "Since you're aware it's time to get your punishment out of the way. I'll make their deaths quick and  _veeery_  bloody," he teased once again in a serious tone, glancing back at the two victims on the couch with a matching hidden smirk. Mr. and Mrs. Tweak stared back with terror-shaken eyes, squirming fruitlessly in their bonds.

 _"Punishment?! Deaths?!"_  Tweek's brain instantly thought with dread. The terrifying feeling gave his throat the boost he needed to speak. "W-what are you talking about? I-I did what you told me to!" His voice cracked at the exclaim. His throat suddenly felt dry as his breaths came out in pants, his body shaking as if he were outside in a blizzard.

A laugh left through the male's lips, it was obnoxious and mocking. "Oh Tweek, you know very well what I'm talking about. Yes you did as told, but today you failed. I ordered you to end your friendship with them, that meant do not look at them, do not hang around, and also do not  _talk_  to them. Ever, otherwise I would kill them. You broke all three of those not too long ago, and for that you must be punished, but luckily for you I'll give you two choices."

Two black gloved fingers raised into the air as their head twisted to face Tweek once again. Both Tweek's heart and blood went rigid once they held each others attention. A sickening wide smile was visible under the dark depths of the hood, teeth white and very sharp. "One," the first finger went down. "I kill Clyde and Craig or two," the second and last finger went down. "I kill your parents. Choose carefully."

There was a frightening silence as Tweek's mind repeated the beings words. No matter how many times the options were replayed, Tweek still couldn't believe that he had to choose who's life he was going to end. All for the sake of his punishment.  _"My parents or...Clyde and Craig?"_

"B-but why?!" He exclaimed pleadingly. "Why do any of them have to die?!"

"Why, you ask? Simple, because those that fail to obey any given orders are to be punished. However your life cannot end, not by my hands at least," the dark man answered, plain yet mysterious. "Now times a wastin' Tweek. I  _would_  give you some time to think over your choices, but like I said earlier I can't stay here for very long. I'm giving you ten seconds, if you haven't made up your mind by then, well  _I'll_  take the pleasure of choosing then." 'His' inhuman smile widened as a chuckle slipped through 'his' fangs.

The countdown began, decreasing silently as even more pressure settled within Tweek. Trembling hands made their way to up spiky, blonde hair, clutching them tight with wide blue-green eyes traveling down to the floor. Tweek had no clue what to do, he didn't want to do this. Who was he to decide who died? This wasn't something a child should be doing. He loved his parents with all his heart, and he knew for a fact he couldn't end their lives. As for Clyde and Craig, they were his best friends and he still saw them as such even though he had to cut ties with them, but it was against his will. Plus they're still children so killing them would be just as wrong.

This abrupt turn of events was unfair, what could Tweek have possibly done to deserve this?  _"T-this is way too much pressure! I-I can't do this!"_ His legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. He wanted to curl into a ball, close his eyes, and hoped that when he opened them again all of this would've been his crazy imagination. His sudden encounter with this dark evil being wasn't something he thought would develop into this.

Two years, it was two years ago when the darkness of Tweek's room took form and 'he' loomed out of the shadows, towering over his bed.

 _"Hello Tweek Tweak, from now on I'm going to be in your care."_ Were the only words that left 'his' mouth that night before Tweek was swallowed by blackness. Since then, he wondered if he dreamt that night, the strange shadow rarely appeared.

Now he really wished that it was a dream...

"H-how did it turn out like this? Why...?" Tweek whispered to himself, sinking further to the floor and clutching his hair like a lifeline.

"Hmm it appears you don't know whose life I should take, but that's understandable since you're still just a child," the evil male said, taking  _some_  pity on Tweek. "Guess I'll do the honors and kill these two right here."

Tweek's body tensed up, and his shaking ceased. Slowly, he raised his head only to have blood splatter across the bridge of his nose in that instant. His horrified eyes saw the red liquid squirting out from his mother's neck like a fountain, her head angling upward as the life from her wide green eyes instantly vanished.  _"M-mom...no..."_

Mr. Tweak shook his head with pleading blue eyes at the attacker, silently begging his life be spared. But it was to no avail. The dark underling held no sympathy, no remorse as he maintained his smile and slashed his neck open. Blood sprayed from the large wound, yet not a single drop landed on the non-human being, they flew straight past the mass of darkness. A loud, satisfied laugh vibrated throughout the silent house, blood on both the couch, the floor, and across the walls.

"See Tweek,  _this_  was supposed to be Clyde and Craig, not your parents. Whether they're a baby, a child, or an adult wouldn't have mattered to me, as long as you learned your lesson for disobeying orders. What I merely did was set an example, if you ever were to disobey the Master's orders, let's just say you'd rue the day you did. You only have yourself to blame little Tweek, keep that in mind as you live your days in loneliness."

Before Tweek knew it more blood was shed and his vision dimmed to nothingness.

A deep rumble of thunder shook Tweek back to the present, the darkness around him blurry. Pale, skinny fingers hesitantly rose up to his left cheek, fearing leftover blood could be trailing down his face. The liquid didn't feel mucky nor was it red when he placed his fingers in his indistinct field of view, it appeared clear and felt cold under his touch. He wondered how long he had been crying for during his recollection, could it have been since the very beginning or when his parents were killed before his very eyes?

Tweek closed his hand and let it fall limp to the floor beside him, his eyes wandering over to the sofa where his deceased parents were. Their lifeless heads hanging limp to the side, exposing the inside of their jugular. More tears fell and descended Tweek's cheeks, washing the dry blood from his face to a faint extent. His stomach felt queasy, but nothing came up. He was empty, both in body and mind.

* * *

_Kenny_

_"...a great danger is approaching your town."_

_"...you along with your friends will train to defeat both the Beings of Darkness and the darkness itself."_

_"Tonight or maybe more nights to come you will meet someone in your dreams."_

The night had finally come for Kenny. It was time for him to meet the mystery person his possessed father informed him of.

Sleeping on a haggard mattress was the little blonde himself, curled onto his right side with a small skinny hand positioned near the bottom of his slightly agape mouth. His breathing soft and relaxed. The boy's orange parka acted as a cover, only protecting his torso and half of his upper thighs from the cold night air. Heavy rain pelted against the feeble bungalow, weakening it's poor condition even further with it's persistent flow.

With a subconscious thought, Kenny found it odd how he slept with no worries of the house flooding. Perhaps it was the cause of his frequent deaths that he thought so nonchalantly on the matter, it honestly wouldn't surprise him if he drowned in his sleep if the rain filled the small house during the night. He just hoped his family didn't suffer the same fate if that were to happen, they wouldn't come back to life like he would. They would remain dead, and it was a thought Kenny dreaded.

In a flash the negative notion left his mind, in it's place was darkness. With leisure development, his dream began to show itself, replacing the short-term emptiness.

Hazel eyes slowly opened to a bright sky before them, however the bright intrusion didn't agitate the drowsy orbs. Kenny blinked a few times to clear his vision, feeling a strange sense of soreness coursing through the entirety of his body. His head ached more than any of his other limbs, feeling as if he had been hit a couple of times by a hammer. With a pained groan, he gradually sat up and looked around his surroundings.

Around him was an open field, expanding farther than the eyes could see, it's grass a smooth and healthy green. A single tree was planted just within eyes reach, appearing tiny from a far away glance. The white clouds in the light blue sky provided an air akin to Spring: pleasant and warm. The field was simple yet a sight to see, it's tranquil nature could erase any troubling feelings and/or thoughts in one's being.

Kenny's eyes sunk in every detail of the place. It didn't matter to him that there was little to see, it was  _way_  better than seeing snow everyday. He always wondered if they had any grass remaining in South Park, let alone had any to begin with. Cold and snow were the only things his hometown received, whether the season was Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter snow always came out of the clouds, and it was difficult to distinguish which season was which. South Park had Winter pretty much every year.

But then a foreign precipitation entered the small town and it was rain. Kenny couldn't recall the first day the clouds decided to  _grace_  them with an onslaught of it, but he knew it couldn't have been for a good cause. Slowly, ever since his meeting with the spirit inside of his father's body, Kenny began sense that something was amiss in South Park. News of the sudden murder and Cartman's missing whereabouts only increased his unease, thankfully their busted television managed to update him and his family of the unfortunate incident at the time.

 _"And then there's Kyle,"_ Kenny thought with a frown of his lips, his eyes staring beyond.  _"When I went over to his house that night, no one answered the door when I knocked so I waited until morning on their porch. Still, no one opened the door so I went home."_ He also recalled hearing Cartman's loud voice calling out to him that morning as he walked to his house, but he didn't feel like being bothered with the chubby boy so he ignored him, glad Cartman said nothing else afterwards. A gentle breeze swayed Kenny's hair, the white strand standing out from the blonde. He closed his eyes, glad his parka wasn't on him as he basked in the warmth. He continued his thoughts.  _"There's Stan too, I don't know what either of them are doing lately. It's like ever since Cartman disappeared, things started changing. I wonder if Stan knows about Kyle...that we should be cautious of him, or if they..."  
_

The calm wind died down, and Kenny opened his eyes. What he saw before him made his orbs widen in shock.

"Kenneth McCormick...we finally meet." Stood before Kenny was a little girl, her age appearing close to Kenny's or maybe a year less. Her hair was a midnight black, reaching down to her shoulders and her eyes were the same color as his mothers, maroon. The young girl wore a white single piece dress that reached past her kneecaps with white flats on her feet, a blue ribbon was tied around her slim neck.

Kenny blinked, parting his mouth slightly as if he were going to say something but words got stuck in his throat, leaving him looking like a gaping fish out of water. The girl giggled and folded her hands behind her back, a warm smile forming on her lips. "My name is Yuna, Yuna Edgewood," she introduced herself. "I am your Inner Guardian, I posses the powers of both a Light and Dark Guardian making me a Mixed Guardian. Before you ask what Inner Guardian's are, they are spirits that take on any form they choose- hm?" Yuna stopped herself, the look of confusion on Kenny's face told her that the boy was very lost by her sudden explanation.

Yuna wandered over to him. Once she's near, one of her hands moved from behind her, and she extended one finger to poke his cheek. The cold contact on his skin made the boy's shoulders jump, bringing him out of his daze. The girl giggled once again and withdrew her finger, returning her hand to it's original position. "Sorry, I got a little ahead of myself there," she apologized lamely, her cheeks turning a bright pink.

"Uh huuuh..." Kenny hummed hesitantly, standing on his feet and dusting the remains of grass from his pants.

"But did you grasp what I've told you? I know the spirit that was residing in your father for a short time already informed you of the darkness and the Beings of Darkness, so that saves me the trouble of explaining that to you," Yuna said, not hiding the relief in her tone.

Kenny nodded as his lips angled downward, recalling the information his possessed father told him. "Yeah, I got what you've told told me, but what does it all mean?" He asked, confused.

"It means just as what the name says. I am your Inner Guardian, and I simply live within you now. To help defeat the darkness that threatens the earth I will give you my powers to fight," Yuna answered strongly.

Kenny's expression changed the instant she was done talking, disbelief and shock appearing on his face. "B-but how?! There's no way I can-" The feeling of a familiar soft, cold hand on his cheek ceased his upcoming panicked rambling. He stared into the eyes of Yuna, strong unfaltering determination was what he saw in her orbs. Another warm, gentle breeze swayed their hair, Yuna's dress and ribbon.

"Kenneth, you have nothing to be afraid of, you're immortal. Not just that but age doesn't matter when your home is in danger. Remember the darkness won't approach until many years to come, the Beings of Darkness are going to be like our training dummies until then. Sadly we won't be able to train by ourselves since there isn't much time, one of those monsters is already lurking in your town. Also." Yuna retracted her hand from Kenny's cheek, reaching up to touch the white part of his hair with her forefinger and thumb. She twiddled the one strand with gentle care. "I'm letting you know right now that this white strand in your hair will only expand the more you age or use your magic. I'm not sure how it came to be that way nor do I know how long it will be until your hair is completely white, but know that it is nothing worry over. Ask God about it the next time you die and enter into Heaven, he'll give you the answer you'll need I'm sure."

Kenny was left speechless. His eyes could only stare at Yuna as she placed both of her hands by her sides, her baby face neutral. She turned away from Kenny and looked up at the vast sky, moving her hair out of her face. Kenny had nearly over a million questions racing through his head, enough to give him a headache. He sighed silently, his lips forming into a hard line as he traveled his gaze up to the sky, something he wished to see in South Park.  _"Why is this happening? Why me? Is it because I can't die...?"_ He thought sadly.

"It's not just you Kenneth, your friends will fight as well," Yuna said softly, answering Kenny's thoughts. "You aren't going to be alone in this, I promise." Her small, slim fingers reached up to the ribbon around her neck, her expression saddening as her eyes lowered from the sky. There was a moment of silence. "There's something I need for you to see," Yuna suddenly declared.

Before Kenny had any time to ask what it was that he needed to see, the area around them changed. A cool air replaced the warmth around the two, the sky was dark with a single moon, and snow was beneath their feet. Kenny quickly looked down and around, both confused and shocked about the abrupt transition in scenery. His dirty, weak socks sunk into the supposed cold snow, it felt really strange for him to be standing in something empty of temperature.

Yuna took small steps and stood beside Kenny, her hand clutching the strings of her blue ribbon and her face scrunching up in distaste, staring up at the moon. Kenny followed her gaze, nearly feeling himself be blinded by the orbit's brightness. "This moon represents the one in your town, bright and beautiful. However, soon a Being of Darkness will appear and the it's life will come to an undeserved end," Yuna explained.

Kenny looked away from the moon to look at the girl with worried eyes, she kept her attention on the moon. "W-what do you mean?" He asked, anticipating the worst. Yuna didn't answer, instead her lips went into a line and she lowered her eyes to the shadows before them. Once again Kenny followed her gaze. As soon as he did someone walked out from the darkness, their attire just as black from which they came from. The snow crunched underneath their boots until they stopped in the rays of the moon, only a couple of feet away from Kenny and Yuna. Their physique was that of a male, it was the only distinguishable feature Kenny could point out from all of the black he was wearing.

A bone-chilling breeze of wind blew past the three. Kenny's body shivered and he hugged his bare arms, a futile attempt to warm them. Silently, the dark figure raised a gloved hand, pointing directly up at the moon. "Don't look away," Yuna warned sternly just as Kenny was about to look up. He obeyed and eyed the man, Kenny narrowing his eyes due to the cold air.

A faint humming sound filled the silence around them, gradually increasing as a red energy produced itself from the tip of the man's extended forefinger. It continued to increase in size until it was that of a baseball ball. Without a seconds delay, the red energy shot out from his finger at an unimaginable speed.

The beam left a powerful blast of wind in it's wake, harshly blowing the hairs and clothes of the two children. It took a couple of moments for the wind to die down to a complete still, and it took a couple of seconds for Kenny to open his eyes. Once he did, he was met with eerie darkness.  _"W-what just happened? Where did that guy go?"_ He wondered anxiously.

"Look up Kenneth," Yuna ordered softly, concealing the hatred in her voice. With a firm grip on his arms, Kenny did as told. Nervously, he lifted his head, his eyes widening in shock all over again at the sight in the sky.

Little shiny, fake stars twinkled down from above in diverse directions, disappearing as they continued their venture down to the earth. The moon was nowhere to be seen. No matter where Kenny looked, the big, bright orbit wasn't within his eyes visibility. It was erased from existence.

"Yuna...-"

"One...it took  _one_  small beam to blow up the moon." Kenny directed his attention to Yuna, his orbs trembling in disbelief. The little girl was shaking with anger, the bangs of her black hair shadowing her eyes from Kenny's view, and she was clutching the ribbon even tighter in her quivering grip. "It's honestly pathetic, relying on power from the darkness and their Master to fuel them. They don't have to do  _anything_  to gain their strength. It's  _truly_ pathetic and despicable," Yuna seethed through gritted teeth.

In a swift and unexpected motion, the two appeared back in the field. The chills within Kenny's body began to melt away once the warm breeze hit him, his body relaxing in the repose air as he released his arms back to his sides. However lingering thoughts and images from the event seconds prior wouldn't leave his mind, was the moon really endanger of being blasted to bits by the mysterious man?

Kenny glanced over at Yuna, who was exhaling deeply out through her nose, calming herself down as she repeated the process three more times. "Yuna, you okay?" Kenny asked in concern.

The girl nodded, then opened her eyes. Traces of anger was apparent in her orbs, but on the outside she was calm and collected. "Ya know, it's really hard to believe that you're a kid. You don't look any older than me," Kenny suddenly said, trying to make light of the atmosphere.

Yuna shook her head, an amused small smile on her lips. "Spirits don't have an age. We appear as whomever we like, gender and age doesn't matter to us since we're rarely seen outside in the human world."

"Wait so does that mean you guys can come to our world whenever you want?" Kenny asked with a raised eyebrow of interest, glad he changed the mood.

"Yes we can, however it's not recommended nor necessary. Well not now at least," Yuna replied, locking eyes with Kenny. The blonde felt proud of himself, he managed to rid the remaining rage from the girl like he'd hoped. "If I were to suddenly appear in your world and at your doorstep, how would you explain me to your family?" Yuna inquired. **  
**

Kenny blinked at the question. "Umm I could tell them that you're a friend from my school?" He answered in a questioning tone, unsure of any other reply.

Yuna gave him a one-armed shrug. "Yes you could tell them that, but don't you think they'll find it odd that one of your friends decided to come to your house out of the blue?" She asked offhandedly.

Kenny couldn't help but blink again. But before he could answer, the toll of a grandfather clock chimed in the distance. Yuna's lips formed horizontally. "Seems you're about to wake up soon," she said, answering Kenny's unspoken question. The wind came to halt as the area around them slowly began to fade into the shadows. "Before you go, the start of your training will begin once you open your eyes. The Being of Darkness we just saw is approaching your friends' house at this very moment, the one you must be cautious of."

"K-Kyle?!" Kenny asked, knowing instantly who Yuna was referring to. The little blonde felt light all of a sudden, he looked down to find himself fading with the expanding darkness.

Yuna nodded. "Yes him, Kyle Broflovski. The gears of fate have begun to turn Kenneth, you can either save him or let him be taken away. The choice is solely on you and your friends now, please choose wisely and please keep in mind that Kyle is not to be trusted."

As faint traces of Kenny vanished from view, the girl smiled softly as she watched him disappear back to consciousness.

Once he's gone, Yuna stood alone in the darkness, her lips now a frown. She clasped her hands together over her chest and closed her eyes. "I won't interfere with your decision, I pray that you make the right one."

* * *

 _August 25th_   **  
**

Kenny came to with a jolt, bolting up from his bed as the house trembled from the thunder. His breathing undisturbed. He scanned around his room for any massive puddles of water from the rain. Much to his great shock and relief, his room wasn't close to flooding but the corners of his floor were soaked due to the cracks.

 _"Oh right, I need to hurry. Kyle's in trouble."_ Kenny quickly secured his parka around himself, rising to his feet shortly after. He ran to his door and out of his room, the floorboards groaning from his thin weight until he was near the front door. With hasty movements, Kenny bent down and placed his shabby sneakers on his feet. Instead of tying them, he stuffed the laces deep into the soles of his feet.

Before Kenny opened the door, he closed his eyes and thought, thinking about his actions and back on what Yuna told him.  _"Is this the right thing to do when I'm just a kid? No, it shouldn't matter. Kyle's my friend and if he's in trouble I'll do all I can to help, If Stan knew about this he'd come to his rescue too. Alright...I've decided."_  Kenny opened his eyes, narrowing them in determination and clenching his fists.  _"I'm gonna save Kyle."_

His heart thudding within his chest, Kenny unclenched his hands and trailed them behind his head, touching the fabric of his hood and hoisting it over his head. He then pulled the strings, tightening the hood to cover his face, leaving only his eyes visible. He suddenly realized he wasn't wearing his mittens, but he didn't have the time to go them from his room so he had to make do without. Kenny reached for the knob on the door, holding it firmly as he pushed it forward.

The sky was a sinister dark grey as the clouds showered the earth, their constant drops of rain muffled in Kenny's ears.  _"_ _You aren't going to be alone in this."_ Yuna's words abruptly came into his mind, giving him a strange confidence boost. A feeling he needed.  **  
**

Kenny took a step forward from out of the house, his feet instantly getting drenched from the water on his porch. He closed the door behind him, the strong emotions coursing through his veins providing him with a burst of energy.

Resolute to save his friend from harm, Kenny took off in a sprint, feeling a great sense of deja vu washing over him.  _"I remember doing this when I was first told about Kyle, how I was supposed to be cautious of him,"_ Kenny recalled with a hidden smile. The thought made him move at a faster pace, eager to see the redhead after what felt like so long.

Only Kenny himself was daring to be out in the downpour once he left the poor side of town, the sidewalks and roads were deserted. He panicked when he stumbled on the slippery concert, the walkway cleansed of snow. He landed on his stomach with a hard thud, crying out as the air was forced out of him. Coughing and groaning in pain, Kenny pushed himself up on his knees, wanting to waste not another second on his mission to save Kyle. His parka was heavily doused with water, causing it to cling to his bony frame and chill him further.

Kenny willed himself to endure it, no matter how uncomfortable it felt. He stood on his feet again and resumed his run, panting from the lack of air in his lungs.

After a few minutes, a familiar dark green came into his view through the rain. Kenny ordered his legs to carry him faster, both his lungs and limbs burning from the insistent strain.

_"KENNETH STOP!"_

Eyes enlarging in great shock, Kenny failed to heed Yuna's sudden warning. Out of nowhere, a black burst of magic struck in front of Kenny, sending him stumbling backwards. Due to the rain, he ended up skidding and stopping far from Kyle's house. The strings from Kenny's hood came unloose and it opened, showing his pain induced face panting for air. His body was aching at an unbearable rate from the unexpected blow, and his back was scorching in discomfort from the rough sidewalk.

 _"Kenneth you need to hurry and get up, your life will be over if you continue to lay there,"_ Yuna ordered inside his head, ignoring the suffering he was going through.  _"Quickly, it's coming!"_

A deep chuckle echoed around Kenny, resonating with the roll of thunder that came in. Kenny hissed and opened one eye, propping himself up on his elbow, shaking from the effort. Stepping out from a shadow-like portal was the Being of Darkness Kenny saw in his dream, however a spine-chilling smile was present under his hood. "How bold of you to come and see your friend, Kenneth McCormick," he said, stopping a feet or two away from Kenny. The portal closed behind the man. "You're both foolish and gusty for a kid."

Kenny used whatever strength he had left to sit himself up into a sitting position, his breathing heavy and his back increasing in pain.  _"Don't worry I'm going to heal your back. It'll only take a couple of seconds,"_ Yuna informed. In that instant, a cool tingle settled within the skin on his back. Not only was his back gradually feeling better, but his whole body was altogether.

 _"Thanks,"_ Kenny thought in relief. He felt that he was ready to stand back on his feet thanks to Yuna's healing. Slowly, he propelled himself on the soles of his feet, glaring at the smirking shadow man before him.

Another rumble of thunder sounded overhead as the two silently stared each other down.

The start of a life-changing battle was about to begin.

**/**

_"A new fate is about to take place..."_

Deep in the heart of the woods was a boy sat on the trunk of a fallen tree. He was soaked to the bone with rain, his brown hair matted against his head. A blue hat with a yellow poof ball lay discarded on the ground by his feet, a smudge of blood staining it's once warm fabric.

In the boy's hand was a knife, it's sharp blade glistening due to the constant flow of water. He held the honing object up to his face, a pair of red eyes reflecting off of the pointed, flat metal.

"Time to put this back into use," he mused excitedly, standing up and lowering the knife down to his side.

 _"Yes, and this will be worth your while. I guarantee it,"_ promised the soft, gentle tone of a female inside his mind.

The boy smiled menacingly at her words, eager. "Where to?"

_"South Park of course, near Kyle Broflovski's house."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Things are heating up, probably excited to see how I go about children fighting am I right?...I hope you enjoyed, Happy Holidays, and the next chapter will be up soon)


	14. Two of the Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Butters whom will be addressed as Leo and Stan's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 25th- Leo  
_

_"I wanna go outside, stupid rain,"_ Leo thought with a frown as he gazed out of the soaked window in the living room from his spot on the couch. The rapid, heavy pelting against the house was a dull tune in the little boy's ears. He was wedged in the middle of his parents, his mother was on his left and his father was on his right, both adults watching the news on their flat screen television.

The news reporter, Tom wasn't telling them anything new, just that the storm wasn't going to pass anytime soon. They stopped updating everyone about the murder and Eric ever since Tuesday. Why, Leo didn't know but he hoped both Eric and his mother were okay.

 _"I wonder why the police haven't found Eric yet, maybe he's not in South Park anymore,"_ Leo thought worriedly, but a bored yawn escaped through his lips.

"Leopold you know better than that, cover your mouth the next time you yawn," his mother scolded, her light blue eyes remaining on the t.v.

Leo glanced down at his lap in shame, frown deepening. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly.

Now he really wished he were outside, every little thing he did resulted in him being scolded, grounded, or both. His parents were  _very_  strict towards him. They always expected him to follow their rules/orders without complaint and do good in school, never missing a day unless he was sick. If it was a meager cough or sneeze Leo still went to school. It's odd that his parents changed, Linda and Stephen weren't like this before, they were actually kind to him and rarely got mad. The groundings didn't start until he was 4 years old, and Leo knew nothing of what he did for them to suddenly resort to severe/constant banishment to his room.

 _"This is why I barely have any friends,"_ the little blonde thought with a tinge of anger. Unbeknownst to him the lights in the house suddenly started flickering.  _"I can never go out cuz I'm always grounded almost every weekend, and I can't go out on weekdays cuz of school."_

He thought of Tweek, and how the boy suddenly started hanging around him and ignoring Clyde and Craig.  _"I didn't mind it, even though it was weird. Tweek was pretty fun to talk to, but..."_ Leo knew that Tweek was forcing himself to be with him, he wasn't blind nor was he dense. 6 years old or not. Actually it was more like he could  _see_  that Tweek missed being with his two best friends whenever it was just them together, Leo caught his eyes glancing at the two every now and again.  _"Why did he start avoiding them anyway?"_

Amidst his thoughts, a sudden soft, firm hand touched Leo's shoulder, snapping him back to focus with a blink. He looked up from his lap only to whimper in shock at the darkness around him, all of the lights and television were off. Only illumination from the curtains entered the room, the grey light casting an eerie feel into the atmosphere.

"It is time," announced Stephen in a monotone voice, standing up shortly after. The hand on Leo's shoulder squeezed, the pressure mildly strong before retracting itself, leaving a faint ache on his skin.

Leo placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, eying his parents that were stood stiff as statues on both sides of him. "M-mommy, daddy?" He called nervously. He didn't receive a response, instead the two adults slowly turned to face him, their eyes pupil-less and glowing an unnatural dark green. The boy released another whimper with wide eyes, instinctively scooting back into the couch and unconsciously applying some pressure onto his shoulder. His mother and father extended a hand towards him in beckoning.

"Come Leopold Stotch, it is your turn now," they chorused.

"M-my turn?" Leo repeated, panicking. "What?!"

Their hands slowly inched closer, Leo ineffectively pushing himself further into the cushion, clenching his teeth tightly in fear. "Join the darkness, become one of us and serve our Master," his parents said in sync with each other, their open hands practically in Leo's face.

Shutting his eyes tight, Leo smacked them away. "No!" He pushed himself up and scrambled through the opening between his parents, heading for the front door.

"Running is futile," Linda warned, neither adult going after the young blonde. "No one can escape the darkness."

Leo ignored her as he unlocked the door, dashing out once the opening was wide enough and into the rain. Both his tuft of hair, clothes, and socks quickly became soaked, the downpour relentless causing him to run with his head down.

 _"W-what was wrong with them?!"_ He wondered fearfully, his parents eyes embedding into his mind. His own orbs began to water with tears, confusion and horror quickly registering within him as his brain tried to discern what had just occurred. He came to a stop on shaky legs, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth.  _"What am I gonna do now?"_ He asked himself. What  _can_  he do? Leo wiped at his eyes with a wet hand, opening them a second later after the pointless action. "M-maybe I'll go to Stark's Pond," he concluded in a sad whisper and began his trek to the well known area at a slow pace.

Sky blue eyes scanned the empty streets and sidewalks, Leo thinking he was apart of some horror movie with how plain and dead the neighborhood appeared. The little child hugged himself, feeling extra cold due to the combination of the winter air and rain, wishing he'd worn long sleeves instead of short ones. His parents always had the heat on at home so he saw no need to wear long sleeves inside.  _"I'm probably gonna freeze to death out here."_ His thought caused him to scrunch his face up in despair and grip his arms tighter.

Before long, a sign with the name Stark's Pond came into Leo's view. However he couldn't tell if someone was already sat on the bench in front of the wide pool of water or not, the silhouette appearing indistinguishable through the rapid flow of rain. Instead of feeling cautious, Leo felt relieved that someone aside from himself was outside.  _"Maybe he can help me!"_ He thought happily, picking up stride and going into a light jog.

"U-umm excuse me?! I need your help!" Leo called out for their attention, gradually approaching the figure. Leo's foot suddenly landed in a deep puddle and he slipped, falling and crying out as he fell and landing on the ground. He groaned, feeling his eyes stinging with tears. The impact wasn't all too painful but his body ached.  _"Stupid, stupid rain,"_ he cursed in annoyance as he propped himself up on his hands and knees. He glanced up with squinted eyes, the person now standing from the bench.  _"He must've heard me!"_

Leo stood on his feet and proceeded his jog, only a few yards away from Stark's Pond. "Can you please help me?" He begged, only to abruptly come to a halt, eyes growing in fresh fear.

The standing shadow moved from the bench and through the wood, gliding on air and nearing Leo at a leisure pace. He took a step back, repeating the movement with his mouth trembling partly agape and his legs shaking all over again.  _"A-a ghost!"_

 _"No, not a ghost, a spirit,"_ corrected a women's voice.  _"You asked for help yes?"_

Stopping himself, Leo nodded his answer without much thought.  _"I can help you but to an extent. First, there is something I must show you- no it's something you MUST see. South Park is no longer safe Leopold Stotch, evil entities known as the Beings of Darkness are slowly claiming this town, first starting with the people within it,"_ the mysterious female explained.

"W-who or what are you?" Leo asked, not comprehending what he had been told.

 _"As I told you before, I am a spirit. I was originally meant to possess one of you parents' bodies to tell you about this dark change that's happening, but it appears I was two years too late,"_ she answered.  _"But before I go into more depth, we must hurry. A child known as Tweek Tweak is in a similar predicament as yours."_

Leo's eyes widened. "Tweek?!" He asked in disbelief, fearing for his friends' safety.

Without any further explanation from the shadow female, a black container in the shape of a square captured the two and they suddenly disappeared from the area.

* * *

_Stan_

Today marks the seventh day of Stan's training with his Inner Guardian, Chris. Stan failed to complete his trial of overcoming his weakness of the dark, but he was told by Chris that they didn't have enough time to continue it thus they started training. Stan had yet to discover whom one of his parents would be his other training partner, either his mother or father possessed the power of Darkness. He had the sudden feeling that he was going to find out very soon...

The two boys were in a fantasy landscape: the grass green and flat, tainted with a few dark imprints, the sky was a beautiful mixture of purple, blue, and green with millions of tiny sparkling stars, spreading beyond eyesight.

One boy raised his hand glowing in a red energy. "Surround him, Dark Fog!" A large mass of thick, black clouds surfaced from the ground behind him, sprouting like rapid growing bushes then slowly drifting towards it's target.

Stan gritted his teeth, a nervous drop of sweat trailing down the side of his forehead.  _"Dang it, not again,"_ he thought in a annoyed panic. Thinking quickly, he used his brain to come up with a spell to protect himself with from the approaching Dark fog.  _"Wait, protect..."_

"Umm protect me, Dark Barrier!" Stan closed his eyes just as Chris' magic closed in on him, but a red sphere-like barrier enclosed around Stan, shielding him from harm.

"Hmm not bad," Chris praised coolly. "But I know you just thought of that at the top of your head, your 'umm' gave it away." The red light from his hand dimmed before completely vanishing, his spell disappearing as well.

Stan opened his eyes with gradual movement, growing in shock and glancing around at the structure of his own magic.  _"Whoa, I did this?"_ He thought in awe, extending one finger and lightly poking the barrier, only for it to burst like a bubble.

During the past days of his training, this was his very first time getting one of his spells to work correctly. Usually if he were to perform something similar to this, the spell would appear weak or it wouldn't come out at all. This was truly something Stan should be proud of, however he had no time to celebrate for the familiar chime of a grandfather clock signaled he was about to wake up soon.

"Stan," Chris said, walking over to the other noirette with a serious expression. "Be prepared to put your powers in action, your friend Kenneth McCormick is in danger. He's near Kyle's house, and a Being of Darkness is there also."

Stan's body tensed. "Y-you mean now?"

Chris nodded, stopping in front of Stan. "Yes now, you want protect him right? Immortal or not, if Kenneth is defeated the Being of Darkness will claim him and his Inner Guardian will cease to exist or also become theirs." The scenery around them began to be overtaken by darkness. Stan stared into Chris' eyes to keep from looking, his body beginning to feel weightless. "Remember to be careful of Kyle, the Being of Darkness is near him for a reason," Chris reminded sternly.

 _"Just like how you should be careful around me, you should also be careful around your Guardian Stan. He's hiding something from you..."_ Stan lightly bit his bottom lip, recalling dream Kyle's warning. It's true that it does feel like Chris is hiding something from him, these past days Chris had been acting secretive, but Stan had no way of confronting him on the matter.

A hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. "Don't worry, I'll be with you so you're not alone," Chris said, giving Stan's fading shoulder a light squeeze before the boy disappeared wholly.

Chris dropped his hand down to his side, a small smirk on his lips.  _"Finally..."_

**/**

Stan drowsily opened his eyes that were still weary with sleep. He bolted upright with wide eyes when a shadow of a person came into clearer view. "Relax sweety, it's just me," said his mother, sitting in a chair she grabbed from the dining table near his bed. Stan calmed himself as told and reached over to his nightstand to turn on his lamp, however the light didn't switch on.

"The storm blew out all of the power," Sharon told him. "But right now there's something I need to tell you."

There was a tense pause between them, Stan waiting patiently with half-lidded eyes, focusing on his silent mother. Not even the rumble of thunder deterred the sleepiness from him.

Sharon clenched her hands in her lap. "Sheila was behaving very odd one day and it was bothering me, so last week I visited Kyle's house to see if she had calmed down. The two of you were supposed to be in school at the time, but for some reason Kyle wasn't. Ike was probably home too. When Shelia opened the door, I knew right then and there that I was right to be at that house. The inside was pitch dark, and she didn't greet me like she usually did. Instead she just stared at me with dark green eyes, silently waiting for me to say something." She paused to let Stan catch up on where she was going, he might not have looked it, but he was paying intent attention.

"Before I could even open my mouth," his mother continued. "I suddenly heard a scream that sounded like Kyle or Ike come from behind her. Sheila didn't seem fazed like I was and she told me that she was busy then slammed the door in my face. I was stunned, but once one of the boys screamed again I composed myself and banged on the door asking what was going on in there. When I received no answer, I opted to call the police, thinking she was abusing her one of her children but quickly thought against it. I had a strange feeling that getting the police involved wouldn't have helped." She heaved a sigh. "I'm not really sure what to do about this, but Stan..." She paused briefly as she took Stan's hand into hers. "I think it's best if we don't get involved with them anymore," she deemed, sounding deeply troubled with her decision.

Stan kept quiet, staring at his mother with fully opened eyes. Was Mrs. Broflovski abusing one her kids like his mother suspected? It was a possibility since Mrs. Broflovski was a victim of the darkness, but was it something he should tell his mother about?

 _"Hurry Stan, your friend needs you,"_ Chris reminded inside his head.

Stan visibly jumped at his voice. "What's wrong?" His mother asked when she noticed.

 _"I have to tell her, I don't want her to be taken by the darkness."_ Stan lightly squeezed her hand, then pushed the covers off of him and sat on the edge of his bed. "Mom, there's something I need to tell you too...Mrs. Broflovski's been possessed, but almost everyone here in South Park has been. Ghosts called Beings of Darkness are here, I- no me and some of my friends are training to defeat them and the darkness that's coming as well." He finished, glancing down at his lap and biting his bottom lip, waiting nervously for his mother's response. Did she believe him, or did she not? The question repeated itself inside his brain until his mother spoke, withdrawing her hand from his.

What she said wasn't something he expected to hear.

"I see...so it must be time since you know about them," she said in a whisper.  _"How did I not notice when I went over to the Broflovski's?"_  She asked herself in slight anger.

Stan glanced up at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I also know about the approaching darkness and it's underlings, I-I just wasn't expecting for them to near this early," she answered, her lips a tight line. "Since you know of them, then that must mean you also know of the Inner Guardian's correct?"

Stan was at a loss for words, he didn't anticipate that his mother would know of this already. "Y-yeah I know about them, mines is training me and he told me that...either you or dad have the powers of Darkness."

"Then your Guardian was right,  _I'm_  the one who possesses Dark powers and you are to inherit my statues. Randy nor Shelly know of this," his mother said. "However you won't take my place until I die, or when you turn eighteen."

 _"Hurry up Stan,"_ Chris urged again, his tone hasty.

Stan blinked owlishly at his mother, wanting to ask the many questions he had, but due to the dwindling time and Chris' pestering left him unable to. He curled his lips downward and jumped down from his bed, heading for his dresser for some clothes. His mother stood from her chair, turning to face him with a frown of her own.

"What are you doing?" She asked, surprised at the lack of questions.

Stan opened his middle draw before answering. "I'm gonna save Kenny, he's in trouble." He took out a white T-shirt shirt, then opened the draw underneath, pulling out a pair of pants.

"No Stan, I know you've been training with your Guardian but I can't let you face a Being of Darkness yet. Not at this age," Sharon objected, ending in a sad whisper.

Stan closed the draw and turned around, facing his mother with a look of resolution. "I have to, Kenny is my friend." Saying nothing more, he went over to his bathroom, suddenly pausing in the doorway when his mother spoke again.

"Then I'm coming with you."

Stan closed the door with no objections.

* * *

_Leo_

They ended up on the porch of the Tweak's household, the object that transported them dissolving into the air- or rather into the rain.

Leo stared wide eyed at the closed door, feeling the after effects of the ride. He wasn't dizzy nor was he scared. He actually couldn't describe the feeling, it being new to him and all.

Slowly, the odd feeling drained from his system, his lips and eyes going downward as he thought of his parents.  _"Even though they were mean to me I still miss them,"_ he thought sadly.

 _"Leopold,"_ Leo looked up and at the shadow beside him.  _"I know you're worried about your parents, but it's too late for them. Once someone is claimed by the darkness, they can no longer go back to whom they were before."_

The expression on the boy's face was heartbreaking after hearing that, eyes glossy with upcoming tears and teeth clenching in sadness. He looked away and back down at the porch, balling his hands into fists. "T-then what I am gonna do? Where am I gonna go?!" He cried.

He didn't receive a reply for a moment. Mysteriously, the door slowly opened itself.  _"The earth is changing, but not for the better. The darkness and Beings of Darkness are gradually making the people of this world their underlings for the Master of Darkness, first starting with this small town. You and some other children I cannot tell you are training to defeat them with spirits known as Inner Guardian's. You will will meet yours very soon, so bare the loneliness for a little while longer. Your Guardian will stay by your side until the day you die. As for me, I'll stay with you as well, until the time comes for you to meet them."_

Leo remained quiet, unsure how to feel. He knew for a fact that he could never forgive them for their strict behavior but they were his parents, he didn't know their reasoning but they mostly likely wanted what was best for their only child.  _"I know you're still grieving but we must make this quick, a battle not far from here will begin soon and it's dangerous for you to be in the crossfire once it starts,"_ the black spirit warned softly.

Leo sniffled and wiped at his eyes, slowly glancing up at the ajar door. An uneasy set of chills caused his body to stiffen, the combination of pitch darkness and an aroma so strong and putrid exiting the house drifted into Leo's nostrils. He grimaced and covered his nose and mouth with both hands. "What's that smell? It stinks!" He whined, his voice muffled.

 _"This is what death smells like,"_ was the only answer he was given as the shadow woman floated inside the dark house. Leo gulped, clasping his hands tighter before trailing behind.

The odor hit his secured nose like a brick, eyes watering again from the strong stench. He stepped into the living room, instantly wishing he hadn't once his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness and caught a disturbing scene, the cool partly hard liquid beneath his soaked socks seeping into the mushy fabric. Dry blood decorated the walls of the room, a dark red pool surrounding under the couch at the feet of two deceased adults, their heads close to falling off the bit of skin holding them attached. Leo's stomach churned like a tornado.

 _"A Being of Darkness did this, killed the parents of Tweek with a vicious slash to their necks. The boy is right here."_ Leo took a big swallow, downing the bile within his throat before taking a tentative step forward. On his right, his back hunched against a wall with his head held low, was Tweek. Stale blood covered some parts of his blonde hair, and a few splatters of the old liquid littered his outstretched pant legs and shoes.

"Oh no...Tweek," Leo whispered with sympathy, approaching the boy slowly and lowering his hands down to his sides. The scent of the dead didn't bother him anymore, becoming a background smell to him as he got on his knees in front of Tweek, staring at the silent blonde with shiny eyes of condolence. Leo raised a cautious hand towards him. "T-Tweek?" He called timidly.

Slowly, Tweek raised his head. Leo gasped, pulling his hand back to cover his mouth again in shock. Lifeless blue-green eyes stared back into glistening sky blue, smeared blood as dark as oil under Tweek's eyes, blending in with the dark bags underneath.

 _"It confuses me, why would a Being of Darkness kill when they are supposed to claim the humans as their own?"_ The spirit wondered out loud, black eyes staring at the corpses of Mr. and Mrs. Tweak.

"C-can we...save him?" Leo asked, his soft tone pleading.

The inner woman took a moment to ponder his question.  _"I'm sorry, we cannot-"_

"But Tweek's parents are dead! We can't leave him here alone!" Leo shouted, facing the dark female with freed tears.

 _"I know and that is reason enough. The Being of Darkness killed them for a purpose I'm unsure about. If we take Tweek with us, then he'll put you in danger."_ Leo frowned deeply, turning to face the emotionless Tweek. His friend. He reached for his hand, taking it with gentle care, feeling the coolness and stickiness of the boy's pale skin.

Leo closed his eyes, tears continuing to trail down his cheeks as he recalled when Tweek approached him.

**/**

It was during recess, Leo was sat by himself on one of the swings as per usual. It was a break he always dreaded, being alone as he watched the other children laugh and play together left him envious and occasionally self-loathing. He always kept his eyes to the ground, slowly finding the snow captivating much to his chagrin.

The reason why he was alone wasn't because the children didn't like him, or that they didn't want to play with him. It was because of his parents. If they as so much saw a tiny speck of dirt or snow on anything but his shoes, he was grounded.

When either the children or teacher asked him of his isolation, he would tell them his parents would ground him if he came home dirty. Leo was greatly disappointed when they left it at that, he knew he was known as the kid who was always being grounded by nonsense, but he hoped at least Mr. Garrison would call and talk some sense into his parents. Alas he did no such thing, and Leo spent every recess on the swings by himself.

Suddenly, a pair of green sneakers came into his downcast view. He glanced up in bewilderment, the feeling increasing when he saw that it was Tweek standing before him with a nervous blush, his eyes glancing elsewhere but at Leo. He always wondered why Tweek only wore a green long sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers out in this cold, it's strange how the boy hadn't gotten sick yet due to his lack of appropriate weather clothing.

"Hiya Tweek, what is it?" Leo asked, since Tweek hadn't said anything for awhile.

Startled, Tweek directed his eyes to him, his blush darkening in embarrassment. "O-oh umm, i-if it's okay with you...c-can I sit here?" He questioned, twiddling his fingers and looking over at the empty swing.

A small, wide smile spread across Leo's lips. "Of course ya can!" His lips suddenly changed into a confused frown, realizing something. "But why aren't you playing with Clyde and Craig?" Leo looked past Tweek to see the two boys watching them, Clyde frowning in perplexity and Craig seeming indifferent.

Tweek's body went rigid for a brief second, he then released a forced chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck. "W-well you're always here alone s-so I thought I'd keep you company, I can play with them tomorrow. I-if that's what you want?" He said, his ending statement more of a question.

"I don't mind," Leo said, looking back at Tweek with a small smile. Tweek gave him a relieved smile and ambled over to the swing, dusting the snow off before sitting down on it. Leo spared another glance at Clyde and Craig, the two boys playing on the monkey bars with a few other children.

There was an odd mixture of silence, it being awkward yet relaxing. But it was broken shortly after by the sound of creaking. Leo looked next to him, finding Tweek lightly pushing himself back and forward with his feet.

Leo stared ahead and mimicked Tweek, happiness slowly washing over him as the two of them silently swung on the swings.

**/**

A rumble of thunder shuddered the house, bringing Leo back to the present. "I don't care," he declared, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. He opened them, gazing back into Tweek's orbs. "I wanna save Tweek, so let's take him with us...please?" He gave Tweek's hand a soft squeeze.

After a couple of seconds of silence, a sigh of resignation left through the lady's invisible lips.  _"I see, if that is what you want then I have no right to interfere any further. Please remember that your life will be in danger with this boy by your side."_

Leo nodded, his lips forming into a sad smile. "I know...but I just can't leave him here."  _"Not when he was the first person to hang out with me when I was alone."_

 _"I understand, now let us hurry, the battle should begin any second now,"_ she ushered.

Leo stood up, lightly tugging on Tweek's hand, motioning he stand up along with him. The silent blonde obliged, standing on his feet with stiff movement and a weak grip on Leo's hand.

"What battle?" Leo asked with interest, both he and Tweek standing side by side.

 _"It is a battle that will determine the fate of one child, his friends have the power to shape it. Their actions will effect not only his, but theirs as well,"_ the spirit answered.

"Oh," Leo mumbled, not fully understanding the reply he received.

The three left out of the house, Leo closing the door behind them. The dry blood slowly washed away from Tweek's hair and skin, his blonde locks flattening against his head. Leo observed him for a small moment, once again squeezing his hand before facing forward.

Silently, the group was engulfed by the same black square and gone from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	15. Dark Takings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Bebe and Wendy's POV.
> 
> Please enjoy)

_August 25th- Bebe_

"MOM! DAD!"

Immediately after Bebe's panicked cry, a door slammed open and hurried footsteps followed, but the girl paused at the top of the staircase, indigo eyes wide in horror and staring down at the darkness beneath the stairs. All of the lights instantly went out after a close flash of lightning.

"M-mom!? Dad?!" She called again, voice trembling. She couldn't see anything below, not even the few steps leading down into the living room.

Bebe didn't receive a reply from her parents, instead a thunderclap answered her and she screamed at the response. She whimpered and turned back, heading to her room thinking she could wait in there until she heard signs of her parents. However the door was somehow closed. When she tried the doorknob, it didn't open. Tugging proved pointless after awhile. The door mysteriously closed and locked itself.

 _"N-no way!"_ She backed away with her heart pounding against her chest.

She released a startled whimper when the heel of her foot dipped down past the edge of the stairs, quickly catching herself before she fell and ended up breaking more than a few bones. Footsteps retreated away from the venture that almost costed her demise, eyes watering and tears trailing down her cheeks, her sobs stifled as the fear made it difficult for her to free them.

Bebe's back pressed against her bedroom door, knees buckled and gave out in that instant, sliding down and sitting on her bottom. She clenched her teeth as shaking hands traveled up to blonde hair, touching then gripping the golden strands in a unsteady, weak grasp. Her shallow breathing slipped between the thin, narrow openings of each tooth, eyes enlarging in hysteria.

_"Mom, dad...where are you?"_

"Bebe..." The girl's restrained crying ceased the moment she heard the soft, familiar call of her name. Slowly, her hands released her hair and her head lifted up, wide wet eyes staring forward into the darkness.

"Bebe...it's okay. Come down into the living room, me and your father are here."

 _"Mom!"_ Relief washed over Bebe, a smile indicating as such appearing on her lips. Wasting not another second, she rose to her feet, using the door for support. Once her balance was stable, she wiped at her eyes with her pajama shirt sleeves, then approached the stairs once again, only to stop at once with a feeling of hesitation.

 _"I-it's too dark, I can't see,"_ Bebe thought with worry, placing a lightly closed hand over her chest.

"Quickly," her mother urged softly.

With lips pressed into a hard line and tightening the hand over her chest, Bebe swallowed her nervousness and reached for the railing with her other hand, locating it shortly after. She inched herself closer, clasping the smooth surface of the wood firmly before starting her trek downstairs. She took each step slowly, small fingers carefully gliding down the brown bar, matching with her pace. Eyes tried to adjust to the darkness around her, only staring ahead as she hoped to see something even in the faintest.

It took close to a minute for one of her feet to suddenly touch air, for her to realize she was on the last step. She planted both feet on the carpet of the living room floor, letting go the railing as she glanced around the dark area through an indistinct view. The closed curtains made the attempt even more complex, their color a dark blue.

"M-mom?" Bebe called nervously.

"Over here." Bebe's eyes tried detecting the direction her mother's voice came from, sitting on the couch was a silhouette she assumed was her mom's. "Come sweety," she beckoned verbally, a pair of glowing, pupil-less dark green eyes shining through the darkness. "Me and your father have something to discuss with you."

Bebe's breathed hitched, reawakening horror immediately replacing nervousness. Her fist tightened even more as she stood in place, body shaking and knees threatening to collapse again. "Come here Bebe," Mrs. Stevens said again, impatient.

Bebe shook her head although she didn't care if the movement was noticed or not, something was off about her mother and she wasn't going anywhere near her. Bebe scanned the couch for her father, however only her mother occupied it. In fact, the man wasn't even in the room with them.

"W-where's dad?" She demanded, refusing to look in the abnormal eyes of her supposed mother.

"Do not worry about him, just come here-"

"No!"

There was an immediate silence after Bebe's outburst. The storm outside decided to fill the quiet house with a rumble of thunder.

"What?" Her mother questioned sternly.

Bebe closed her eyes, lowering both her head and hand. "I..I said no," she repeated weakly.

There was silence between them once again, the girl unaware of Mrs. Stevens' eyes narrowing as she stood up from the sofa. "Bebe...are you disobeying me? Your mother?" She asked, her tone menacing.

Bebe's body went taut and she opened her eyes, keeping them away from eye contact with her mother. Never before had she heard that kind of tone from the woman, even whenever she defied orders, however those were seldom times.

"Look up right now," her mother ordered, maintaining her intimidating tone.

There was a few seconds delay when Bebe obliged, raising her head to look into the glaring eyes of the woman stood before her. Bebe's eyes grew in shock at the sudden closeness between them, she didn't hear any footsteps nearing her.

"We've wasted enough time already due to your insolence. Now," a sudden grip on Bebe's right hand caused the girl's body to jump with a whimper. "Come Bebe, it is your turn now. Join the darkness."

* * *

_Wendy_

Wendy was running.

She didn't know where or how long she had been running for, but fear, sadness, and adrenaline kept her from stopping. The heavy raindrops showered her entire body, black damp hair clinging to her head and soaked pajamas and socks sticking to her skin like glue.

With her head held low, Wendy closed her eyes, tears welling within them as her mind flashbacked to the event that occurred not too long ago at home.

_"Mom...dad..."_

**/**

Wendy was huddled on the couch in the living room in the middle of her parents, the house void of any light due to the flash of lightning that struck a couple of minutes prior. Neither Testaburger moved from their spot since then, that is until Wendy's father stood up, both Wendy and her mother observing him in confusion.

"I'm gonna go find a flashlight," he announced. Before he left, Wendy sat up and quickly grabbed his wrist.

"No, don't leave," she pleaded.

Mr. Testaburger turned himself around, placing his free hand gently over Wendy's. "It's okay, I won't be gone too long," he spoke softly, then pried her hand from his wrist. The little noirette sat back with a frown, but said nothing else, trusting her father.

"Be careful honey," Mrs. Testaburger said.

"I will," and with that he left the living room in search for a light.

Wendy and her mother sat in silence, listening to the occasional thunderclaps and constant flow of rain. The sounds were soothing, a feeling Wendy found odd due to the situation they were currently in. But with her mother by her side, she felt safe knowing that she wasn't alone in the dark and that she could relax. She rested her head on her mother's arm, closing her eyes as Mrs. Testaburger brought her closer.

"It's been so long since we've had rain," her mother said in a reminiscing tone. "We've had nothing but snow throughout the years, no matter the season. But this storm...is nothing we've ever had before, this must be a sign. A warning."

Wendy opened her eyes, not understanding where her mother was going. "Mom, what are you talking about?" She asked. **  
**

Her mother was silent for some moments, lightly squeezing Wendy as her facial expression went melancholy. "Wendy...I love you, you know that right?"

"Yes I know, and I love you too. Both you and dad," Wendy replied, glancing up at her mother.

There was another moment of silence, the two locking eyes in the darkness.

"And your father too, I love the both of you with all my heart. That's why...if anything were to happen to either of us or both..." Footsteps neared and entered the living room, causing Mrs. Testaburger to pause on her statement. They stopped at the end of the sofa.

Wendy looked away from her mother to look at her father, Mrs. Testaburger's hand removing itself from around her. The little girl's eyes grew in terror at the sight of her father, his golden brown eyes were replaced with a radiant pupil-less dark green. In his hand wasn't a flashlight, Wendy could see a faint glimmer of the object's tip.

"Dad?" Wendy called questionably, eying the mystery item in his hand.

"Wendy...run. Run out of here as fast and as far as you can," her mother ordered, standing from the couch and approaching her husband.

"Come, it is your turn to join the darkness," Mr. Testaburger said flatly, slowly raising the knife in his hand.

"Run, now!" Mrs. Testaburger hollered, bracing herself to protect her daughter.

Wendy flinched at her exclaim, scooting towards the edge of the sofa before hopping down. She eyed both her parents with worry. "But mom-"

"Please Wendy...just go," her mother urged, her back towards Wendy as her eyes watered with tears.

The same was happening to Wendy's eyes. She closed them and without another word, turned around and sprinted to the front door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, sparing one more glance at the two adults through blurry vision. Her father's arm was above his head, face expressionless as he stared down at his wife.

"Join me or die, our Master will not allow traitors," he hissed narrowing his eyes.

Mrs. Testaburger narrowed her glossy orbs as well, forming her hands into fists at her sides and clenching them tightly that they shook. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you aren't doing this because you want to. I'd rather die than join some cult you bastards suddenly dragged my husband into."

Wendy felt her body trembling, feeling a great need to rush to her mother's aid.  _"Dad...what happened to you?"_

Her father's eyes narrowed further into slits, grasping the knife's handle in a solid grip. "Very well foolish woman, I'll kill you here and now then claim Wendy Testaburger afterwards."

Both Wendy and her mother froze, but Mrs. Testaburger quickly composed herself. "Like hell you will!" She twisted her head to the side, looking at the little noirette with a forced smile. "Go, I'll stop him here."

Orchid eyes grew again in shock. "No, I don't want to! I don't wanna leave you!" Wendy objected, tears ready to spill down her cheeks.

"Please, you have to. You must continue to live. Live until you grow old. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain," her mother pushed softly, a teardrop descending down her visible cheek.

"Enough chatter, time to die," the man declared, restless.

Mr. Testaburger brought the knife down, Mrs. Testaburger turning her head back to her possessed husband as the sharp blade penetrated her chest. Blood gushed out from both the wound and her mouth as she cried out with a cough. However death hadn't claimed her just yet. With whatever energy she had left in her, she gripped the handle of the knife with both hands over the man's hand in a tight hold. Her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"N-not y-yet, I-I'm taking you with me!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth, blood trailing down both sides of her chin.

Grunting in both pain and effort, Mrs. Testaburger pulled the blade out of her, Mr. Testaburger far too stunned to oppose her.

_"Impossible..."_

Finally, the knife was out and more blood poured to the floor, Mrs. Testaburger panting heavily from the exertion. Wendy remained speechless as she watched on, cheeks soaked with salty water.

Her mother took and turned the blade towards her father. "Why are you still here?" The older noirette questioned, addressing Wendy who stiffened at the query. "Hurry and go, run somewhere far from here."

More tears welled up within Wendy's eyes and she closed them again, turning away from her parents and twisting the doorknob. Weakly, she pushed it open, a rush of cold wind and rain greeting her and entering the inside of the house.

Hesitating for a few seconds, she clamped her teeth together and ran with all her might out into the storm.

**/**

Wendy stopped in her tracks, head still down as rain blending in with her tears streamed down her cheeks. She stood there, panting, crying, and lost on what to do. Where was she to go? Where  _could_  she go or what  _could_  she do?

With a sniffle and her breathing regulated, Wendy raised her head, moving drenched bangs out of the way to glance around the empty neighborhood. She felt alone with the streets and sidewalks empty of people, no matter the time of day even one person or two would still be out, either walking or driving. Wendy wrapped her arms around herself, going into a slow walk to an unknown destination.

Images of her parents flashed through her mind, saddening her even more as she pictured the times the three of them spent together. Both Wendy's eyes and lips quivered, but she moved on, keeping her leisure pace and lightly gripping the fabric of her shirt.

 _"I miss them...so much..."_ She thought mournfully.

Suddenly, her ears picked up a sound through the onslaught of rain. It wasn't thunder, that she was sure of. Instead they sounded rapid, and was gradually getting closer by the second. Wendy stopped once again, looking around for the source of the quick footsteps with wide, alerted eyes, ready to run if needed to. Her body tensed up and she held her breath once the running person's footsteps reduced to a walking state, closer hearing discerned that there was more than one and they were practically behind her now.

 _"W-who else is out here besides me?!"_ She thought, panicking.

Her panic increased when a cold hand touched her shoulder. Shutting her eyes, Wendy screamed and jumped away from the stranger.

"It's okay Wendy, it's just us," assured a familiar voice.

Wendy opened her eyes, widening them in shock at the sight of Stan and Mrs. Marsh, their clothes dry thanks to the black umbrella Mrs. Marsh was holding over them. "S-Stan?! Mrs. Marsh?!"

"What are you doing out here?" Stan asked, just as startled as Wendy was.

The girl's expression changed in that instant, eyes saddening and glancing down at the ground as her hands clenched her shirt even tighter. "I see, so they got your parents as well," Mrs. Marsh presumed, her lips a thin line.

Stan's lips curled downward, staring at the grief-stricken girl. "Wendy I'm sor-"

"You knew," whispered Wendy, eyes covered by her black bangs. "You knew something like this was going to happen...didn't you?"

Stan was taken aback by her question, his frown deepening as he was too dumbstruck to answer. "Yes, we did know," Mrs. Marsh answered in his place. "Your parents have been possessed by an evil known as the Beings of Darkness-"

"Stan told me about them already," Wendy admitted softly.

 _"I did?"_ Stan thought to himself, confused and unable to recall ever informing her about the dark underlings.

Wendy looked back up, eyes tired and dry from crying. "My parents are dead," she confessed sadly. "I don't know what to do...or where to go now..." Her lips trembled again. Mrs. Marsh approached her and embraced her in a cold, wet one-armed hug that was somehow comforting to Wendy.

Stan glowered at the ground, his hands shaking into fists of anger. Angry at the monsters known as the Beings of Darkness. "Don't worry Wendy, I'll avenge them for you," he swore, voice strong. He lifted his head, eyes still narrowed.

Mrs. Marsh pulled away from Wendy, the girl's eyes staring into Stan's determined sapphire ones. "For now, go somewhere safe," the boy's mother instructed, handing Wendy the parasol. "Anywhere is fine as long as you don't near Kyle's area."

Wendy let go of her shirt to take the umbrella, grasping it with both hands. "Kyle? Why, what's happening?"

"I would love to tell you but we don't have much time, just get out of harms way for awhile," Sharon said. She nudged her head forward. "C'mon Stan." Stan gave Wendy one last look before following his mother, both going into a run.

Wendy turned around, watching the two widen the gap between them the further they went. She took one hand from the handle, hoisting up her right wrist, visualizing the bracelet she'd forgotten that was on her. Her lips formed into a line.

_"I know where to go..."_

* * *

_Bebe_

"Come Bebe, it is your turn now. Join the darkness."

Bebe could only gape up at her mother after she said those words, her own words lost in her throat.

The hold on her hand tightened, ensuring she didn't go anywhere as a cold, indescribable feeling suddenly overwhelmed her entire body. She gasped, head going back and eyes expanding like saucers while a black mass ascended up her arm from her mother's hand.

A bright yet faint purple light illuminated around Bebe's wrist from under her sleeve and through the clouds of darkness, but quickly died away. The already dark world around Bebe seemed to grow even darker as her vision began to dim, the gloomy mass overtaking her entirely. Her thought process was obscured and rewritten, instead her brain only wanted her to assist the darkness in spreading itself to others.

 _"Yes,"_ a sinister voice hummed inside her head.  _"Become one with me Bebe Stevens. Seeerve me."_

Soon, the black clouds vanished, indigo eyes swapped with dark green, pupils blending and becoming one with the orbs.

Mrs. Stevens released Bebe's hand, it going limp at her side. Her head slumped down, then her dull eyes glowed in a corrupted light. Slowly, Bebe raised her head, her mother grinning in evil triumph.


	16. Fighting Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Clyde and Craig's POV. Please enjoy.)

_August 25th- Clyde_

Clyde was confused, anxious, and curious all at the same time.

This was the first dream he'd ever had that was peculiar than the rest—well more in a creepy aspect.

Just approximately a couple of seconds ago he was just sitting in his bed, listening to the rain outside with the frequent thunder and lighting, staring at nothing.  _Sitting_ —not sleeping, so how he ended up out of his room and out of South Park altogether was totally beyond him. Maybe boredom drove him to close his eyes and drift to sleep, it was a logical solution even Clyde himself knew, but he found it odd how he managed to relax amidst a storm.  _By himself_. Children his age were supposed to be fearful of them, crying and clinging to their mommy and/or daddy to stay with them through it until the blue skies—or in Clyde's case, the light grey clouds showed themselves again; indicating that the storm had passed.

The brunette focused back to where he was, glancing all around him at his surroundings, first starting with the most obvious: a bridge.

The freshly brown wooden path stretched far out of the eyes capacity, going deep into a black depth of nothing. Clyde took one step forward, noticing by the shallow impact that his feet were already planted on the bridge. He looked down then behind himself, what he thought was the entrance was actually the same as the opposite end. More like an exact replica.

 _"C-creepy..."_ Clyde quickly faced forward with a shudder, gazing up at the sky next.

An expansive mass of grey clouds loomed overhead, and that was it. If there was something else in the concealed sky, then whatever it could be must've been swallowed by the clouds.

Clyde glanced down with an uneasy frown of his lips, feeling the great urgency to leave this strange place. He pinched his arm through his sleeve, hoping pain would be enough to rouse him awake.  _"Come on, wake up me."_

When he felt nothing happen, he applied a little bit more pressure onto himself, hissing and clenching his eyes shut that were swelling up with tears. He stopped shortly after with a disappointed sigh, rubbing his agitated skin with gentle care and opening his glossy eyes.

Suddenly, a sound filled his ears, loudly penetrating the silence. It startled the child with a jump, eyes wide and scanning every inch of his surroundings for the source. Lavender orbs stopped, looked out and under the wide openings of the railing on the left side of the bridge, the sound appearing closer and more distinct from there. Clyde rubbed at his eyes before moving closer to his left, getting a better hearing of the mysterious sound under the ledge.

Rain was pouring down from the clouds, but only on one side, traveling into the equal depth of darkness underneath. Clyde raised an eyebrow of bafflement as he stared below, his gaze absorbed on the void. However, just slowly, the darkness was faintly being replaced by the clear texture of the liquid falling down into it, piling and rising up for Clyde to get a intelligible inspection of.

The little but many droplets of rain somehow managed to form a large body of water underneath and all around the bridge, even on the side where there was no shower. Soon, the rain ceased and the clouds cleared, dispersing to reveal a night sky littered with many stars and a moon much to Clyde's further confusion.

"What the..," he mumbled, clearly shocked by the quick and unfathomable change in scenery.

Clyde looked back down into the huge puddle, the beautiful moon and stars reflecting clearly through the still, transparent water. Although the atmosphere around him was calm, something different lingered in the air, it being on par with tranquility. It was something he couldn't describe so he thought nothing of it, proceeding to stare down in wonder with a relax facade.

The second Clyde blinked, ripples formed onto the surface of the water, picking up speed and causing many more to form. He observed the large puddle with narrowed eyes, the unidentified feeling gradually increasing.

 _"What's happening now?"_ He wondered.

Abruptly, every ounce of the water ominously changed in color: turning a blood red. The liquid was so thick that the reflection of the sky was completely gone. Clyde found himself frozen where he stood, eyes big in horror. The ripples ceased and the blood water went still again, but only for a brief moment. Clyde bit his bottom lip, body faintly shaking as his pulse quickened in tense anticipation.

This time only one small wave shaped onto the surface, and expanded in size. Clyde's body went rigid, a nervous drop of sweat forming near his hairline then slowly trailing down his cheek. Little by little, the top of someone's head rose into view, their curly apricot colored hair free of any blood as they ascended.

"Greetings...Clyde Donovan..." The male said, his tone a mixture of soft and firm, striking even more fear into Clyde. Next the man's hazel eyes showed themselves, his pupils that of a cat, and the entirety of his face rising up afterwards. As the man floated upwards, Clyde noticed that he was thoroughly dry, it was as if the blood pond below was fake—or in other words, imaginary.

A thin line was planted on the individual's lips, his arms crossed and his body stopping and staying afloat in front of Clyde. What the fairly built male wore was a long, black trench coat, a black turtleneck sweater, black pants with matching combat boots. The boy remained silent and stiff as he gazed, wide eyed, at the black clad person. Even Clyde's mind wasn't able to function properly in his motionless state, the words were either incoherent or they wouldn't form at all, his whole body had shut down due to shock.

Clyde was easily brought out by the sound of a sigh, blinking with his brain and body slowly snapping out of their stupor. "Alright kid, let's hurry up and get this over with," the man drawled. "My name is Leon Edgewood, and I am a spirit known as an Inner Guardian. There are three kinds: Dark, Light, and Mixed, which is what I am. I possess both powers of Light and Darkness."

Clyde blinked again, unsure how to react let alone respond to this new information. So he settled for staring dumbly up at the levitating man.

Leon retrained himself from doing anything that expressed his annoyance, reminding himself that he was speaking to a child; not a teenager or an adult. "I know it's confusing, but you'll understand later. For now." He paused and untucked one of his arms, slightly raising then bending and extending one finger. He arced his wrist down as if he were pointing at something past Clyde's head. "There are two things you must see."

Before Clyde could turn around to see what the man was going to show him, he watched as the tip of Leon's finger glowed a bright red, a sickening sloshing sound following after. The brown haired child felt nauseated, nearly going green in the face. His face scrunch up in disgust, placing one hand over his stomach and gripping the fabric of his pajama shirt.

A long, thin trail of blood slithered up in the air, the crimson liquid glistening disturbingly in the moonlight. After a few seconds, it stopped directly at Leon's fingers then suddenly started to coil up. Clyde's mouth was agape at this point, gawking as the blood crystallized once it was a full circle, blocking Leon's pointed limb as it shined into another color: white.

The bright light caused the hardened blood's center to illuminate in the same radiance, blinding Clyde who had to shield his eyes with his hands. "Look," Leon ordered seconds after.

Clyde took a moment to rub his eyes to rid the sting, taking his hands away and opening his orbs to see dim lighting and an image that made his heart jolt.

A pair of pupil-less dark green eyes stared back into Clyde's lavender ones, he could almost feel the evilness from them through the looking glass. "This here is 'The Mirror of Converging'," Leon explained, moving from behind the makeshift mirror and positioning himself beside it, his arms crossed again. "What you see is happening right now, this person- no child has just been claimed by the darkness' underlings known as the Beings of Darkness. Their name...is Bebe Stevens."

At first, Clyde didn't know how to respond or if he even should. Was what this man just told him the truth? Were those cold eyes truly hers? Was it really Bebe, the girl he'd been crushing on since he first laid eyes upon her, being shown in this mirror? He shook his head, lips curving downward. He found it further hard to believe.

"So you don't think it's true?" Leon inquired rhetorically. "Well then how about this?"

Instantly, the reflection was swallowed by another bright light. After no more than five seconds, the brightness decreased and a new image came into view. The empty eyes remained, but this time Clyde was able to see the owner of them. What he saw still left him speechless.

The mirror displayed a full body of Bebe in her pajamas, the background black and her expression blank.

Clyde felt his mouth open slightly, eyes growing again in utter disbelief. "I-is that really B-Bebe?" He asked, nervous for the answer.

"Yeah, the girl you once knew has been accepted into the dark side," Leon replied. "There is a way to save her, however in your current state it would be futile-"

"But what's gonna happen to her?!" Clyde asked in a pleading tone, eyes watering.

Leon gave him a hard stare. "She'll remain a dog to the darkness, corrupting other humans and forcing them to join their side," was the harsh but honest answer Clyde received.

The little brunette released a depressed whimper and looked down at his feet, teardrops falling from his eyes and splashing onto his socks. "Look, I have one more thing to show you," Leon said, unconcerned of the boy's sorrow. Clyde denied the command with a shake of his head, dropping onto his knees and bawling his eyes out behind his hands.

Leon didn't bother suppressing a sigh of irritation this time. " _I just fucking had to have a kid as my host,"_ he complained internally. He glided himself over to the bridge and landed on it beside Clyde, unfolding his arms and revealing his right hand wearing a black fingerless glove. "Cry all you want kid, but it won't change anything. Like I said, it's possible one can save her but impossible for an ordinary human such as yourself."

Clyde just continued to sob, paying no mind to Leon's words. "I-I w-wanna go h-hoooooome," he whined, lifting his head to show snot leaking out from his nostrils.

With a groan, Leon looked up at the moon, feeling it do wonders to alleviate his emotions.

A few minutes passed when Clyde calmed down, sniffling and whimpering every now and then as he rubbed his eyes and nose with his sleeves.

"Done?" Leon asked dully, still gazing up at the moon with a matching expression.

"I wanna go h-home," Clyde said again.

'You will once I finish, so can I?" Clyde sniffled again before nodding. "Stand up and look back into the mirror."

He did as told, returning his tired eyes back to the mirror. The center portrayed a new picture, Clyde instantly recognized the orange parka but felt an uneasy shiver course through his body at the black clothed man in front of Kenny.

"As you've already suspected, your friend Kenneth has encountered the Being of Darkness that's been inhabiting in your home for quite some time," Leon explained some more. "A battle will soon occur between the two and as much as I want to train you myself, your training will be against the Being of Darkness."

There was a short silence.

"W-what about my mom and dad?" Clyde asked, worried about his parents instead of his training.

Leon looked away from the mirror and at Clyde. "Whether they've met the same fate as Bebe or not doesn't matter, they are to stay where they are."

The little boy felt his heart shatter, fresh tears ready to pour from his eyes as he started whining. Leon averted his eyes from Clyde with another sigh. "Just remember what I've told you alright?" There was a close, deep toll of a grandfather clock, the darkness on either side of the two closing in on them at a fast pace. Leon breathed a sigh of relief. "When you wake up, leave your house and go straight to Kyle's," he ordered plainly.

Before Clyde knew it, his field of vision went completely dark.

**/**

Eyes flew open, remaining wide as they slowly adjusted to the sudden darkness of the room. There was only a red light coming from an alarm clock, the digital numbers showing that it was  **11:28 a.m.**

 _"W-why is it dark?"_ Clyde thought, carefully sitting up in bed.

"CLYDE!" After the urgent call of his name, thudding, approaching footsteps reached his door and flew open. Clyde directed his large eyes to his room's doorway, the shadows making it difficult to distinguish whom the person could be, but he knew who they were based on their voice.

"Dad?!" Clyde asked, shocked.

His father stepped into his room, his movement hasty. "C'mon we have to go. Now!" He yelled, finding Clyde's hand and grabbing him. Roger was careful with dragging him from out of his bed then out of the room, aware that the whole house was dark as they trekked downstairs with caution until their feet touched the living room floor.

"Dad what's wrong? What about mom?" Clyde didn't know what was going on, why was his father panicking all of a sudden? They quickly made their way across the room, Roger pausing once they're by the front door.

Beads of sweat was trailing down his face even though the inside of their house was cold, his teeth were clenched in a light pressure as his body shook heavily. "I-I'll tell you once we're away from here," the man promised.

Before he could put his hand on the doorknob, a voice from behind stopped him. Roger's shaking ceased in that instant.

"Roger, Clyde, where are you two going?"

Clyde quickly turned around to face his mother, ignoring the firm grip his father applied on his hand. "Mom-" He stopped, his next set of words caught in his throat at the sight of his mother stood by the couch, one of her hands resting on top of it. His mind backtracked to the dream he had seconds ago, immediately Bebe's abnormal eyes flashed before him.

Clyde's eyes widened in rekindled horror, staring into the bright dark green orbs of Betsy Donovan.

"C'mon!" His father exclaimed, placing his hand on the doorknob and pushing the door open. They dashed out without another word.

Clyde stumbled and found it difficult to keep up with his father, his tight hold keeping him steady from falling flat on his face. As they ran, Clyde twisted his head to the side, getting a faint glimpse of his mother standing in the doorway, watching them go with no intentions of chasing after them. He turned away, failing to see the knife appearing in her hand as she moved it from behind her and a small sinister smirk spreading across her lips.

"You two can run...but you can't hide. The darkness  _will_  get what it wants."

* * *

_Craig and Clyde  
_

_"Master Craig, it's almost time. Are you ready?"  
_

Craig hesitated, thinking hard on Stripe's question. The noirette was standing outside on the porch, the edge of the roof shielding him from the rain. He was wearing his day clothes and chullo, an attire he'd thought was foreign to him due to the pajamas he wore these past days. Even the sneakers took some time to get used to, his body quickly grew accustomed to his nightwear and just socks on his feet.

It was a few minutes prior when Stripe informed him of the battle occurring soon near Kyle's house. Craig was quite shocked to find out that Kenny was the one fighting the Being of Darkness, also possessing a Inner Guardian to aid him. Craig wondered if Clyde was going to be there as well, thinking he should also have a Guardian by now.

Craig furrowed his brows, staring ahead and feeling his heart beating nervously in his chest as he centered Stripe's query back in his objective. The main sentiment he felt was nervousness, this was going to be his first fight and it was not going to be a normal one. Truth be told, Craig wasn't a fighter nor did he see himself as one. Even though he flipped the children (and sometimes the adults, but behind their backs) off at school, he rarely got into any fights over it—or rather due to their young age, fighting wasn't something they thought of at the time. They thought telling the teacher on him was punishable enough, and it was. His parents caught wind of it that same day and disciplined him once they'd gotten home. As a result, his habit of giving people the bird became an action he did out of 'self-defense'.

Craig frowned at the memory of his parents.

_"Master Craig?"_

The boy blinked, Stripe's concerned voice bringing him out of his strayed thoughts, but with an answer. "I...I don't think I am."

 _"Hmm I figured as much,"_ Stripe hummed.  _"You're still just a child and this is a life or death battle so it's only natural to feel nervous."_

Craig gulped, swallowing the anxiousness down. But it did little help.  _"Please don't worry, just remember you're not alone and you'll be fine. You have me and your friends,"_ Stripe assured.

Craig smiled weakly. Even though he was still reluctant, Stripe's reassuring words overlapped the feeling to a fair degree, leaving him  _slightly_  confident. "Stripe do you know what'll happen afterwards?" He asked, hoping life would return to normal. Or normal as it could get with an Inner Guardian in his care.

There was a delay on the human spirit guinea pig's end. Craig raised a confused eyebrow, thinking he was going to receive another quick response.

 _"I do know what's going to happen, but..."_ Stripe suddenly paused.  _"Master Craig, I sense another Inner Guardian approaching."_

Craig tensed, unsure if he should feel relived or alert. "W-where? Do you know who it is?"

 _"I'm afraid I don't, all I know is that they are a Mixed Guardian,"_ Stripe answered.

With another gulp, Craig stepped out from under the shelter, getting instantly drenched as he walked further until he was on the sidewalk. Amber eyes scanned the neighborhood for the host of the Mixed Inner Guardian. After some seconds, two people appeared on Craig's right after they'd rounded a corner: one an adult and the other a child, both running side by side on the pedestrian path.

 _"Here they come,"_ Stripe warned.

The little noirette turned his whole body to face his right, the duo gradually coming into perceivable view.  _"Who...Wait..."_ Craig squinted his eyes, quickly discerning the glasses on the adult and soaked brown hair on both individuals.  _"Is that...Clyde and Mr. Donovan?!"_ He wondered, shocked to see them out in the rain.

 _"I sense the other Guardian is coming from the child,"_ Stripe identified.

"It's Clyde," Craig corrected, happy to see his one and  _only_ friend harboring a Inner Guardian like he'd hoped. "Clyde!" He yelled, waving one hand to try and grab their attention.

They stopped for a brief second before resuming their run towards Craig. He stopped waving once they were near a minute later, the two panting heavily from the nonstop strain on their legs and lungs.

"C-Craig? W-what are you d-doing out here b-by yourself?" Clyde's father asked in between pants.

Craig's lips frowned once again, having two reasons why he was outside.

One: Just an hour or so previously both his parents were taken by the darkness at the same time. Stripe told him that there was nothing he could've done or did to save them, despite the fact that Stripe was a Light Guardian, his powers alone weren't enough to dispel the corruption from within them. So instead, he had Craig bind them together in their room, a spell even a beginner could master at any age. As for his little sister, Stripe was generous enough to let her stay in his realm until the battle ended, much to Craig's gratefulness. Ruby was all he had now.

Two: He was supposed to be composing himself for the conflict that was going to happen soon. But he still wasn't ready for it, even with Clyde here now. In fact, he wasn't certain if three children (Himself, Clyde, and Kenny) would be enough to defeat the single Being of Darkness. It must really powerful for it to seize almost every citizen in South Park in such a short time frame.

But where those something Craig should say to them? How would Mr. Donovan react? Would he believe him?

 _"You can tell them Master Craig, they are already aware of the strange happenings here,"_ Stripe said.

Craig pondered the idea for a short while, suddenly noticing someone missing. His frown deepened in realization. "Umm where's Mrs. Donovan?" It was a bad question, and Craig regretted asking it when he saw the downcast look on Mr. Donovan's and Clyde's face. The rain streaming down their cheeks like tears.

 _"Oh...so Mrs. Donovan..."_ Craig appeared apologetic yet sympathetic all the same. "S-sorry."

Mr. Donovan mustered up a weak, small smile, shaking his head to dismiss Craig's apology. "No need to apologize, it's just..." He lost his smile. "I honestly don't know what happened to her. W-we were just in the kitchen, talking about the storm when she suddenly..." The tall brunette couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, gritting his teeth and tightly gripping Clyde's hand.

"Craig, what about your parents?" Clyde asked sadly, looking into Craig's eyes.

"I only have Ruby now," Craig answered simply.

An awkward silence engulfed the three, only the sound of the pouring rain filling their ears. Craig glanced down at his feet, unsure of what to do.

 _"Master Craig we must leave now,"_ Stripe announced.

 _"Kid we gotta go,"_ Leon said inside Clyde's head in unison with Stripe, surprising him since it was the first he heard the man outside of his dream.

Both boys locked eyes again, each holding the same feeling in their orbs: hesitation.

Clyde then looked to his and his father's clasped hands, his lips curling downward as he slowly untangled his hand from his dad's. Craig saw that he was disinclined to do so, but they had to go now and that meant leaving Mr. Donovan behind. Clyde had his eyes directed to the ground as he leisurely made his way over to Craig, stopping and standing on his right and refusing to make eye contact with his father, whom was giving him a perplexed stare.

"Clyde-"

"Me and Craig have to go," Clyde said. "We're going to Kyle's house..to..." He stopped, pressing his lips firmly together as he debated telling his father of their purpose for going there without him or not.

"To fight a monster," Craig finished without any hesitation, feeling Clyde's eyes on him.

The confusion intensified on the man's face. "Monster?" He repeated.

Craig nodded, his face neutral as he said nothing more. It was obvious Mr. Donovan was finding it truly hard to accept that a monster—as Craig preferred to call it, was in their town and that two children were going to combat against it. So the little black haired child decided to fill him in on their Inner Guardian's, to assure him—even if to a small extent, that he and Clyde weren't going to be by themselves. "We have spirits called Inner Guardian's inside us, they'll help us defeat it with their powers."

His statement didn't ease Mr. Donovan in the slightest, only making him further skeptical. "It's true!" Clyde quickly added before his father could dismiss Craig's bizarre confession, finally looking and meeting his gaze. "Craig isn't lying." Clyde couldn't blame his father for doubting Craig when he himself felt the same way that day in the school's restroom, the day Craig also told him of the Being of Darkness dubbed monster.

Mr. Donovan heaved a sigh, messing with his spectacles. "Even if you back Craig up on this, I still find it unbelievable. But if that's the case," he gave them a stern look. "Then show me some proof."

The two children blinked. "Proof?" Craig repeated.

"Yes, show me what this so called Inner Guardian looks like. You can, can't you?" Mr. Donovan pressed, his parenting mode activated.

Craig and Clyde glanced at each other in uncertainty. Craig has only had Stripe as his Guardian for two days whereas Clyde just received his not too long ago. Craig was only able to use a binding spell so there was no way he could use it on Clyde's father.

 _"You two are wasting time,"_ Leon spoke again, clearly impatient.  _"I know he's your dad and he's just looking out for the both of you, but if we don't kill the Being of Darkness while we have the chance then this town is a goner!"  
_

Clyde grimaced, feeling the haste in Leon's tone. But what were they to do? He was still a newbie in this aspect.  _"Can you do something then?"_ He asked.

 _"Like I said you two are wasting time, neither of us can show this guy the proof he wants so just leave it,"_ Leon insisted.

After the passing of a couple of seconds, Mr. Donovan spoke again. "Can't do it?"

Craig and Clyde appeared dejected, making the man feel guilty in that instant. "Look you two, I'm sorry if I pushed too hard but as an adult and a parent, it's my responsibility to keep the both of you safe."

Craig understood what Mr. Donovan was saying, picturing his parents in Clyde's father's place, knowing they would do the same if they were here. Craig balled his hands into fists at his sides, amber eyes gleaming in determination and aimed at the man before him. "Mr. Donovan, I understand how you feel but we have to do this. If we don't then more people will end up like my parents and Mrs. Donovan."

Roger flinched at the mention of his wife, his light brown eyes saddening. "I-I see...then at least let me come with you," he offered.

"You can't!" Clyde denied immediately.

"Yeah he's right," Craig agreed. "You don't-you might get..killed if you come with us." He couldn't help but feel disturbed by the word 'killed', it only felt worse since he uttered it through his own lips.

Clyde's father gave them the same weak, small smile as before. "I'll gladly risk my life for my son and his friend," he said softly and earnestly.

Clyde's eyes quickly widened in both horror and sadness. "Dad...," he whimpered.

 _"Oh my God,"_ Leon groaned exasperatedly.  _"Look, we'll do this then. I'll let you transport your dad to my realm, that way once everything is settled he'll be fine and he can come back."_

The little brunette's eyes stayed wide, but in shock.  _"M-me?! How?!"_

 _"It's simple, just hold out your hand in front of him and say 'Teleport to the land of Light and Darkness',"_  his Guardian instructed.  _"And make it quick."_ _  
_

Clyde gulped nervously but did as told, raising his opened palm directly before his father, who instantly became confused again. Before he could even question his actions, Clyde repeated Leon's words.

"Teleport to the land of Light and Darkness."

A warm feeling flowed through Clyde's arm as a white and black light intermixed around his hand. Craig and his father gawked in a dumbfounded manner at his hand, Clyde couldn't help but mimic their expressions. Appearing shortly after was a barrier colored a dark grey, enclosing around it's target.

"C-Clyde, what's happening?" His father questioned, his voice muffled as he glanced around with wide eyes at the structure of the mystical sphere.

Clyde didn't have any time to answer for the barrier disappeared from their sight in a bright light, the glow diminishing from Clyde's hand. Both boys blinked once again, silent as Clyde pulled his hand back towards himself, inspecting his palm with extensive curiosity.

"Dude," Craig began, breaking the silence between them. "That was so cool!"

 _"Master Craig, celebrate later, now's the time to leave,"_ Stripe quickly interjected.

Craig nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Clyde?" He called.

His friend slowly looked up and met his gaze, lingering shock in Clyde's lavender orbs. Craig stretched out his hand towards him.

The two were suddenly no longer afraid after the display of Clyde's magic, they were prepared to fight for their lives knowing they weren't alone, both physically and mentally. Craig had Stripe, Clyde had Leon, and the two boys had each other. Somehow, the thought of fighting together fueled them with newfound resolve, giving them an exceptional boost of confidence.

Clyde copied Craig's smile, reaching and placing his hand on top of Craig's.

Stripe admired their positivity, even Leon—who hated the fact that he had a child as his host couldn't help but smile in the black space inside Clyde's mind at their recently established willpower.

_"Are you two ready?"_

_"You all set?"_

They nodded, giving each other one last determined look and squeeze of their hand before dashing down the sidewalk to Kyle's house, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	17. Misfortune Pt. 3- Unseen Measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This is in Kenny and Stan's POV. Please enjoy)

_August 25th- Kenny  
_

Time felt as if it stood completely still as Kenny and the Being of Darkness held their intense stare down, the rain visibly hammering down on the both of them, neither having moved an inch since. The ever so creepy smile was still there underneath his abyss-like hood. Kenny tried desperately not to freak out at the monstrous canines, maintaining his glare through soaked bangs.

No matter how scary and intimidating the Being of Darkness looked, Kenny wasn't scared because he knew he wasn't alone facing this creature of a man. He had Yuna by his side and although the little girl wasn't here with him physically, he still felt the same from when he left his house: determined.

He was here to save Kyle from this freak. Kenny had the options of either letting his friend get taken away or rescuing him, of course Kenny chose the latter without a seconds thought. They were best friends, and have been ever since the redhead first came to South Park and when Stan introduced them in Preschool. Then Kenny thought of Cartman, wondering where their bully of a friend might be during all of this. Regardless of the chubby boy's behavior, Kenny hoped he was okay, getting the feeling that Cartman was actually being held captive in the clutches of one the Beings of Darkness instead of being missing.

 _"Get ready Kenneth,"_ Yuna warned, instantly pulling Kenny from his thoughts.

Time decided to flow back to normal as the Being of Darkness slowly raised and extended his arm out in front of him. A red ball of energy produced itself in the palm of his hand, increasing until the height and width nearly covered his whole hand. Their smirk widened. "Let's see how you handle this, it's one my weaker spells," he taunted.

Kenny braced himself, feeling his heart speeding up inside his chest.  _"Say this quickly with your hand held out in front of you, 'Protect me, Light Barrier',"_ Yuna instructed hastily.

He did as told, wasting not another second as the red ball flew straight at him. He concentrated, narrowing his eyes further and staring at the hurling death projectile. "Protect me, Light Barrier!"

Kenny flinched when the energy appeared centimeters away from his face, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see the impact coming. When he felt no pain, he slowly opened them to see his field of vision white, however the bright, blank color wasn't harmful to his eyes. He glanced around himself, astonished at the ball of light surrounding his entire body. He was able to see through it like glass, even the rain wasn't able to pass through his barrier.

 _"Awesome,"_ he thought, praising himself while looking down at his hand.

A deep chuckle caused him to snap his attention back to the Being of Darkness. "Not bad kid, you managed to successfully summon a barrier in due time before my blast hit you, and I must say, you've got talent to pull that off when you've had not a single day of training."

Kenny didn't know if he should feel appreciative or nervous after hearing the dark individual's compliment. The magic barrier slowly disintegrated into the ground beneath Kenny's feet, particle after particle breaking down into the air before vanishing.  _"Do not let your guard down Kenneth,"_ Yuna warned again. Kenny nodded his head.

The Being of Darkness' smile widened slightly in a manner that showed he was going to enjoy this fight. He raised his opposite arm out in front of him, closing his hand into a fist. "Since you've proven yourself more than capable to stand up against me, I'll have to step it up a notch. Get ready."

Kenny watched nervously as a long, thin electric-like stick of red flew out from the center of the man's closed fist. Each side of it's edges were pulsating like an out of control flame, the raindrops landing on it dissolved upon impact. "Form and prepare to cut my enemy," the Being muttered menacingly. The fast moving edges decreased in speed before stopping altogether, the side facing Kenny was flat with a curved tip whereas the back was sticking up like spikes. It soon hardened itself, starting from the tip and working it's way down to his hand. The thin energy was now a katana with it's back unusually sharper than the blade itself.

The man lowered his deadly weapon to the ground, the liquid vaporizing from the closeness of the tip, creating a dry space underneath. Kenny eyed the blade with wide eyes and a stiff body, already imagining himself getting sliced in half, feeling painless as death instantly claimed him. Inside his mind, Yuna was just as horrified, having never seen such a peculiar looking sword before in her lifetime. A nervous drop of sweat trailed down her cheek, gritting her teeth as she thought of what to do.

The Being of Darkness raised his blade, pointing it at Kenny. "I bet the cowardly Guardian inside you is freaking out right now, trying so hard to figure out what this is or what you can do to counter against it," he teased.

 _"Bastard,"_ Kenny heard Yuna curse in anger.

"I'll be kind and fill the both of you in since you're gonna die here," the evil man continued, keeping his sword in the air as the rain turned into steam around it. "Over the years, we've been training like you guys, which I know you find hard to believe since in the past, all we've ever done was get stronger by our Master and the darkness around this world. But that's changed, well only a little. We now work to gain the extra power we need to defeat little shits like you, the people who want to hinder our darkness from spreading. So this here in my hand is an ability I alone can do. A sword  _I_  can create. I call it...'The Sword Instilled With My Victims Blood.'

 _"This cocky son of a-"_ Yuna was seething with rage at this point, her hatred for the Being of Darkness skyrocketing.

Kenny could do nothing but gape at the weapon he's sure was going end his life, his heart pounding like a drum against his ribcage. His determination disappeared the instant the thing was created, leaving him a hopeless boy waiting to meet his end. A death that constantly took him almost everyday. Even if he were to die by someone's hand, no matter how different the method, he was still going to  _die_.

The Being of Darkness chuckled once again at the shear panic on Kenny's face. "Looks like someone's given up before the fight even begun, well I need to end this anyway, I still need to pay that friend of yours a visit."

The word 'friend' startled a reaction out of Kenny, breath hitching inside his throat as he knew full well who the guy was referring to. He balled his hands into fists and clenched them tight, shaking slightly in a combination of both fear and slowly growing resolve.  _"I can't give up yet, Kyle is waiting, waiting for someone to save him."_ He tried remembering the times they spent together in his mind with his eyes closed. Him, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman.

He remembered the day the four of them went on their first field trip. It was the first and only day in South Park where it was warm enough to go to the zoo, Kenny was fortunate to attend since it was free for reasons he didn't care for at the time. It was also the day death failed to send his soul to the afterlife, almost close to getting ripped to shreds by a lion but miraculously lived. So he was able to enjoy his time with his friends, even Cartman was tolerable to hang with during the trip.

Kenny also remembered the one day Kyle stuck up for him at school against the three bully's known as Trent and the two lackey's he didn't recall the names of. Stan came shortly after, but the three boys left as soon as they saw Kyle defend Kenny with a glare, and that alone. He spoke no words and Trent and his gang left Kenny be.

 _"Now it's my turn to help you Kyle."_ He opened his eyes, revealing hazel swimming in a pool of confidence.

Yuna gasped at the strong courage surging through Kenny, the light inside his mind seeming brighter than before.  _"Kenneth..."_ Today was nothing but surprises as soon as she met the blonde boy, first being his age. She didn't expect her host to be a child, and a strong one at that. If it were any other child his age, they wouldn't have accepted this so easily. The second and last thing, was his devotion. A boy who was only 6 years old held such a strong desire to save his friend from beings who threatened the earth, also noting the child's mild reaction when they first met.

Yuna smiled softly.  _"You are a strange boy,"_ she thought to herself.

 _"Yuna?"_ Kenny's voice interrupted.  _"Can you help me?"_

 _"Of course, you didn't even need to ask,"_ Yuna replied, keeping her smile. She closed her eyes, clasping her hands over her chest as her body glowed in a light blue aura, offering Kenny some of her power.

Back outside, Kenny immediately felt a warm feeling flow through his whole body, heating him up as if he was standing under sunlight. Not even the cold air and rain around him intervened with the sensation. He closed his eyes again, a light gust of wind picking up, and swaying his blonde locks and the man's dark cloak. He allowed his Inner Guardian's energy to combine with his own, supplying him enough power to stand his ground against the Being of Darkness.

Said Being's smile faltered slightly, sensing an increase in the boy's power as a bright blue aura surrounded his small body.  _"Not good, I better put an end to him now,"_ he thought.

The shadow man gripped his weapon tighter, pushing one foot forward a bit before dashing towards Kenny at fast speed, kicking up raindrops. He arced his arm back past his shoulder, applying enough force to kill the child in one strike. Once he's close a split moment later, the katana seemed to have a shiny glint at the very tip of it's blade as he brought it down, aiming straight for Kenny's neck.

"DIE!"

_"NOW!"_

As soon as the sword was merely inches away from his neck, a powerful burst of blue suddenly sent the man skidding backwards, sending up droplets of water from the ground until he stopped some feet away. He kept his hunched stance, raising his head with a snarl through angrily clenched sharp teeth, invisible eyes glaring at the little boy before him.

 _"What the hell?! How, in such a short time?!"_ He wondered.

The aura around Kenny gradually faded, seemingly entering his body. The once lone white strand in his hair expanded over two more pieces of blonde. Slowly, once the mist-like energy was gone, Kenny opened his eyes and the breeze died away. Mingling in hazel was white, dancing around his irises in a radiant motion.

The Being of Darkness felt his body shaking, not in fear but in anger. He should've known better than to underestimate the Inner Guardian's, no matter whom their host was, they had the power to enhance the person with a good amount of strength to match anyone. He gripped his weapon even tighter at the thought of him struggling to beat a child, closing to distance between his feet and straightening his back to stand upright. The man chuckled some, his smile back although now it appeared crazed.

"Deciding to put up a fight before you die, eh?" He gibed, raising his sword slightly along with his foot in preparation for another dash attack. "You better not-"

"Fire, Ball of Light!"

The Being of Darkness' words fell short by him blocking a quick white blast launched for his head, using the pointed back of his weapon with precision to nullify it. The spell sent him skidding back again, but only faintly. He lowered his weapon down to his side, his wide smile undisturbed as he chuckled once more. Kenny narrowed his eyes, keeping his arm steady in the air.

"That was rude of you brat, at least let me fin-"

Once again, his sentence was interrupted by yet another blast of magic. Except this one was of a different color, it was a dark purple and powerful enough to make him dodge it completely.

Kenny blinked in shock, hearing quickly approaching footsteps nearing his left.

 _"Another Inner Guardian is coming,"_ he heard Yuna inform him.

Kenny lowered his arm and looked to where he heard the footsteps coming from, only to see two people he least expected to find out here. His eyes and jaws widened a bit.

"Stan?! Mrs. Marsh?!"

* * *

_Stan_

Stan and his mother jogged out of the streets and over to Kenny, Stan looking just as surprised as the blonde himself. This was Stan's first time seeing his friend without his signature hood covering his face, if it weren't for his parka Stan would've mistaken the boy for someone else. The two stopped near the edge of the sidewalk.

"I-is that you Kenny?" Stan asked to make sure. Taking notice in the boy's abnormal eyes and hair color, for all he knew, the Being of Darkness could be disguising as him to catch them off guard.

Kenny nodded, his shocked expression never wavering. "W-wha..." He couldn't even form coherent words in his state, he felt as if was dreaming all of this.

 _"Don't tell me you've forgotten,"_ Yuna said, shaking her head and causing Kenny to jump in further surprise.  _"I've told you before that your friends are going to fight as well, it's not going to be just you."_

Stan's mother giggled a little at her son's friend's reaction. "Yes I know it's shocking, but we're here to help you Kenny."

Stan composed himself, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, and I get the feeling we can win with my mom here." After the display of magic she just used to send the Being of Darkness away, Stan was more than positive they could win with her strength aiding them.

Kenny blinked once again, but before he could ask of Mrs. Marsh's being here, a deep laugh erupted from somewhere in the vicinity.

"Forgot about me already?"

Stan, his mother, and Kenny directed their eyes to the strong voice. Stood on the upper far opposite side of the sidewalk was the dark man, his smirk wider than before. Mrs. Marsh narrowed her eyes, turning her body to face him.

The Being of Darkness spread out his arms in a provoking manner, steam rising from his false blood-made katana. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm still alive."

Stan turned around also to face the monster, Kenny taking a step forward and standing next to him with a similar glare like his mother's. Sapphire eyes trailed to the deadly and scary-looking weapon in their hand, Stan feeling himself shaking at just the mere thought of being cut by that thing. He didn't see how Kenny managed to stay sane while being with this guy all by himself before he and his mother showed up, moreover still alive.

A soft, cold hand on his shoulder ceased his shaking. Stan looked up and over to his mom, a small smile present on her lips as they locked eyes. "Don't be afraid Stan. Me, Kenny, and your Inner Guardian are by your side," she assured, removing her hand and staring back at their opponent.

Stan nodded and did the same, silently telling himself to calm down. His mother was right, he wasn't alone in this and it's something he mustn't forget.

 _"Stay focus Stan, you can't get distracted until that monster is defeated,"_ Chris said.

The Being of Darkness lowered one arm back to his side, extending and pointing his blade directly at Sharon. His smile deepened. "Judging by the magic spell you shot at me you must be Sharon Marsh, the Queen of Darkness my Master informed me of."

 _"Queen of Darkness?"_ Both boys and Yuna thought questionably, Chris silent for he already knew of the woman's true identity. Stan looked up at his mother again, this time in confusion. The older brunette scowled once again at the man, forming her hands into fists at her sides.

The shadow Being stepped out into the street, keeping his arm raised at Sharon as he slowly approached the three. "Didn't think I'd be fighting you today all of a sudden, I feel quite honored. Also guessing from the looks on those brats' face, they didn't know about you until now." He laughed, stopping in the middle of the road.

Stan's mother intensified her glare and tightened her fists. "Shut up, I don't go by that name anymore."

The dark man laughed again. "I see, just cuz you've got a family doesn't hide your past 'Mrs. Marsh'. You  _are_  and still will be known as the Queen of Darkness, even in the afterlife and even after many years have passed."

"You can talk all you want monster, we'll kill you here and now," the woman vowed strongly.

"Three against one? How cowardly of you my Queen, but I don't mind. There's actually gonna be a little surprise later," the man said teasingly. "But until then, let's have some fun!"

Before Stan could even process what was going on, his mother stepped in front of him and surrounded them in a Dark Barrier, protecting them from the slash aimed for Stan. He whimpered with wide eyes. He didn't even see the man move from where he was standing just seconds ago!

"Bastard, and you had the nerve to call me a coward," his mother growled.

The Being of Darkness jumped away from a dark blast sent from Kenny, his Inner Guardian deciding to switch up his spells. Stan stood frozen in place, his mother disbanding her spell and halfway turning around to face him. Once again, she gave him a small smile but he felt a chill of perplexity wash over him.

"I know you're ready, but you're not  _mentally_  prepared to fight like you thought were before," she faced forward. "Don't let determination alone fuel you, allow yourself to feel the heat of battle and remind yourself who you're fighting for. Who you're fighting to protect. Think about it while me and Kenny handle him, just join us whenever you're ready."

Stan was silent as he watched his mother and friend go, Kenny giving him a reassuring smile before they went and confronted their enemy.

"Bring it!" The Being challenged, readying his sword.

All sorts of emotions kept Stan from going to help them, keeping his soaked feet planted to the ground. He watched Kenny fire spell after spell at the evil individual, only for them to be deflected or blocked expertly and easily. He watched his mother call upon a spell that formed into a purple handled, normal looking sword in her hands, going one on one with the red sword, their blades clashing with each strike causing sparks to fly.

_"What are you doing?"_

Stan's lips formed into a hard line, eyes descending and looking at the street being pummeled with rain.

 _"Stan, I asked what are you doing?"_ Chris repeated sternly.

The little noirette didn't answer—or rather he couldn't. He knew why he was standing by idly, but it wasn't something he wanted to admit out loud to his Guardian. Especially not after all of the training they had done up until this point...

 _"Are you giving up?"_ Chris' question went unanswered again.  _"So all of the seven days of training we've done up until now, was for nothing? Are you really going to let your friend, the one you've come to aid in this battle, fight without you? Are you going to let your mother take your place instead?"_

After his questions, Stan heard his mother grunt in pain followed by a hard thud to ground. He quickly looked up anticipating the worst. It was Kenny who had fallen, landing on his back and panting heavily for air with a boot print embedded on his abdomen. His mother was clutching her arm that was dripping with crimson, panting as well but not as breathless as Kenny. Her sword gripped weakly in her hand.

Stan's mouth was trembling slightly agape at their nearly bested outcome.  _"No...way..."_

 _"Help them, you have the power to do so,"_ Chris pressed.

A burst of laughter caused Stan to look to the source, his body tensing up all over again. "That was way too easy, is that all you've got Queen? I expected this from the kid, but not you," the Being of Darkness goaded, half disappointed yet satisfied with his closeness to victory. "Guess this is what happens when you have a family." He shook his head.

Sharon gritted her teeth, still panting with a nervous drop of sweat visible on her cheek, practically blending in with all of the raindrops trailing down her face. "D-damn you," she cursed tiredly. Kenny sat up with difficulty, wincing from the pain in his stomach.

 _"Go Stan, quit being pathetic. Hurry up and announce the spell of your choice to attack!"_ Chris continued harshly.

The Being gave a short laugh. "So much for the surprise, you all won't even be alive to see it. Well I'll just end it here since it's become boring now, and I'll start with..." Stan felt his heart stop the moment the man turned his head towards him, their grin nightmare-inducing. "Yooou."

Both Kenny and Sharon widened their eyes in horror, but the brunette narrowed her orbs briefly after. "Don't you fucking dare!" She seethed, only to wince afterwards in pain.

"L-leave Stan alone," Kenny warned, weakly trying to stand on his feet.

"Trying to stay strong until the end huh? But don't worry, I'll kill the both of you shortly after him." The non-human began to take slow, teasing steps towards Stan, dragging his blade on the ground along the way, leaving a trail of extra steam in it's wake.

No, stop!" Sharon released her wounded arm and charged at the man, gripping her sword's handle with both hands and raising her blade to slice him down from his head. She was caught immediately, her sword meeting the others blade before she was harshly kicked in the stomach. She was sent skidding to the other side of the sidewalk, stopping painfully with her back hitting the rock hard edge. She cried out with a cough and a little blood from the kick, clenching her teeth tight in agony as she laid there unable to move not even a inch.

Kenny managed to finally stand up thanks to Yuna's healing, although it wasn't much due to her giving him some of her power earlier. He repeated Mrs. Marsh's action with a battle cry, and a white ball in the palm of his hand.

"You sure are persistent," the man sighed.

Before Kenny could fire his spell, he was abruptly grabbed by the throat then effortlessly hauled up into the air. He clenched his eyes shut as he kicked his legs, using his hands to try and lessen the man's grasp. But they were to no avail, and it only caused more pressure to be inflicted on his throat, gradually restricting his air supply.

Stan's breathing was coming out in shaky breaths, terrified into stiffness. He was too scared to move, to blink, to do anything that would draw attention back his way. His heart was pounding madly in his chest, feeling he might die of a heart attack instead with how fast and hard it was going.

 _"W-we're gonna die...He's gonna kill us..."_ Stan's mind chanted, overlapping Chris' protests of urgency to help Kenny. Although Chris may sound panicky, on the inside—the inside of Stan's head to be exact, he was actually smirking. It was a deceiving smug of a smile that Stan wasn't able to see.

 _"The moment I've been waiting for,"_ Chris thought triumphantly.

_"Stan...allow me to take over."_

A strong thump of a heartbeat sounded loudly in Stan's ears, his eyes widening along with his mouth. His vision slowly dimmed in the color of black, and he dropped onto his knees as his eyes dulled from it's original color.

 _"I'll fight for you, so you can just sit back and watch,"_ were the last words he heard from Chris before he completely lost himself to his Guardian, Stan's orbs quickly changing into a pale teal.

A wide grin formed onto his lips shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	18. Obstacles and Saving a Friend Pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Clyde's, Craig's, and Wendy's POV. Please enjoy)

_Clyde and Craig_

The sky was darker than usual, yet mysteriously, the thunder and lighting had ceased. Although that was the case, the rain still poured down heavily from above.

_"Stop!"_

Widening his eyes in shock, Clyde skidded to a halt with Craig tagging along, their hands still interlocked. Both were panting from their run, Craig staring confusedly at his friend.

"W-why did we stop?" He asked, exhausted.

Clyde was silent for a moment, breathing inaudibly through his open mouth. He turned his head to face Craig. "Didn't your Guardian tell you to stop too?"

Craig raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, Stri-I mean mine didn't say anything." He wasn't sure if he should reveal to Clyde about his once pet guinea pig being his Inner Guardian just yet, and he was glad he caught himself from spilling.

The little brunette copied Craig's expression after the quick cover up in his statement. "Oh," was all Clyde settled on saying, leaving an awkward silence between them.

 _"Clyde,"_ Leon continued, tone serious. _"We're takin' a detour."_

Clyde faced forward with a blink of confusion, having not a clue on what the word detour meant. Again, Craig cocked an eyebrow at his sudden changed expression.

 _"Master Craig, there's something I must tell you,"_ Stripe said, putting Craig back into serious mode. He looked ahead as well.  _"I was going to wait until after we arrived at Kenneth's destination, but it's too dangerous to help him now. Not far from here, a girl by the name of Bebe Stevens had been claimed by the darkness just some minutes ago."_

 _"What?!"_  Craig thought in great shock.

 _"A...detour?"_ Clyde asked with a skeptical thought.

 _"Yeah, meaning we're gonna try and save the girl instead,"_  Leon said.

 _"But what about going to Kyle's house?"_ Clyde found it odd how his Guardian suddenly decided they helped Bebe now, although he had no problem with it. The man said so himself that Clyde was incapable of saving the girl before, so what changed his mind he wondered.

Leon didn't answer after a split second.  _"Two people are already helping Kenneth right now, but something has changed. It's far more risky to approach Kyle's area, and the two of you wouldn't last not a second if we go there now."_

Clyde looked over at Craig, finding the others face scrunching up in an emotion he couldn't describe. Clyde formed his lips into a line, looking down at their connected hands. He gave Craig's hand a light squeeze, causing the noirette to look at him. "What do you think? You wanna help Bebe?" He inquired, hoping his friend wouldn't object to the new tactic. **  
**

Craig didn't reply right away to which Clyde expected, the noirette's lips forming into a line as he looked away and faced forward again. "I don't care what we do...I just want it to end."

Clyde couldn't agree more, this all happened so fast and out of the blue after all. Maybe this had something to do with the rare storm that's happening, but then again, maybe it didn't. He's already lost one person close to him, and he didn't want to lose another, or anymore for that matter. He wanted to save Bebe, to revert her back to the way she was before all of this occurred. To save someone in this deserted home of his. It's possible now since he's got Craig, and they both possessed an Inner Guardian, that gave him a boost of reassurance that they could free Bebe from the corrupting darkness.

 _"Alright,"_ Leon spoke.  _"Let's hurry, me and the other Guardian will transport you two in front of Bebe's house."_

Clyde nodded, staring into the distance with determination, ready to put his powers in action to rescue the girl he liked. He gave the silent Craig one last squeeze of the hand, Craig doing the same but weakly.

Suddenly, light footsteps sounded from behind them followed by a soft voice.

"Clyde..."

The two boys tensed, Clyde's eyes slowly widening in disbelief. He knew that voice, there was no way he could mistake the voice of-

"Clyde...," they repeated.

With slow movement, Clyde twisted his body around, Craig doing the same except at a faster pace. Clyde could feel his heart accelerating in his chest, uncertain if he should feel relived or fearful of the person he was about the see. Craig was already looking at the individual, his amber eyes widening. Clyde could feel his hand slipping out of Craig's grip, the brunette making no attempt to keep them clasped together.

Finally, Clyde had himself positioned to witness the person. In that instant, his enlarged eyes welled up with tears and they spilled, blending in with the raindrops pelting and trailing down his cheeks. There was  _definitely_  no mistaking them now, this person was his-

"Mom..." Clyde whimpered, his hand dropping down to his side.

His mother's eyes were closed with her lips curled into a small, gentle smile. Her hair and clothes were soaked just like theirs with one of her hands suspiciously behind her back.

 _"Damn, this isn't good,"_ Leon grumbled.  _"Didn't think she would follow us."_

Clyde didn't hear a word he said, too focused on his mother. Before he knew it, his feet were taking small strides to approach her, already forgetting that the women stood on the sidewalk was not herself.  _Was not his mother._

 _"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!"_ Leon exclaimed.

Craig was at a lose on what to do, glancing back and forth between Clyde and Mrs. Donovan. Nothing appeared wrong with her, maybe she was out here looking for her son and husband. Although, something, however did feel ominous about her.

And that's when it hit him, when horrifying realization struck.

_"I honestly don't know what happened to her. W-we were just in the kitchen, talking about the storm when she suddenly..."_

Craig gasped and widened his eyes again. "Clyde, stop! That's not your mom!"

Clyde heard none of it, walking towards the woman as if he was in a trance.  _"Master Craig you must stop him quickly before it's too late,"_ Stripe urged.

"Oh Craig, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Donovan asked innocently. "I am his mother."

Craig pressed his lips firmly together, ignoring her and hurrying over to his friend. He grabbed his wrist, but the boy continued to walk. Clyde really did appear like he was in a trance even though Craig couldn't see his face, and it frightened him. The noirette tried pulling Clyde back with both hands, only working to an extent where the brunette appeared walking in place, seemingly looking like he was trying to pry himself away from Craig, but without much effort.

 _"S-Stripe what should I do?"_ Craig asked, feeling even more nervous at the silent women in front of them, silently watching them with the same expression ever since she showed up.

 _"Bind him,"_ Stripe answered simply, saying nothing else afterwards.

Craig frowned, but didn't object. He did it against his parents, so he can do it against Clyde as well. Retracting one hand from Clyde's wrist and using it to grip Clyde tightly, Craig reached for Clyde's other hand that was limp by his side. It was effortless since the boy was practically a zombie, pulling it back and holding both limbs in a strong grip he could muster from his skinny arms, then closing the space between them. Craig closed his eyes and focused his energy to his own hands, remembering how he did this on his parents. Mrs. Donovan watched with mischievous interest, a small curve of a smirk on her lips.

When Craig felt the soothing, warm sensation flowing to his hands and right eye, he opened both eyes—right one silver, and shouted the incantation spell.

"Bind, Chains of Light!"

Instantly, a white aura surrounded Craig's hands, then traveled to Clyde's wrists and ankles like a drifting cloud. It first shaped itself into actual chains, it's features a prominent white then solidifying around the brunette's limbs.

Craig released the other with a deep exhale through his mouth, closing his eyes then reopening them a couple of seconds later to reveal his right eye back to it's original color. Clyde stood still as a statue, obligated to the restraints that bound him in place.

 _"Good Master Craig,"_ Stripe praised, causing Craig to smile softly at the compliment.  _"You'll get the hang of using magic pretty soon, I'm sure. But for now, we must deal with Clyde's mother."_

Nervously, Craig looked up at the women to see her smirk wider than before. She chuckled a bit, making Craig flinch with how evil she sounded.

"How interesting, seems I was lucky to choose this women to control." Slowly, her eyelids moved upwards along with the hand she hid behind her back.

 _"She has a knife, please be careful,"_ Stripe warned.

Craig's breath hitched inside his throat, eyes widening a fraction in horror.  _"A-a knife?!"_

It was a knife indeed just as Stripe predicted, Craig able to see just the sharp tip revealing itself before getting an eyeful of the weapon as a whole shortly after. Mrs. Donovan's eyes were opened as well, colored a dull dark red with no pupils instead of green. She lifted the blade up to her lips, sticking out her tongue and licking the back of the metal with a sick grin.

"Since the two of you defied the darkness, I shall send you brats to a different one known as Hell."

* * *

_Wendy_

For some odd reason, Wendy felt skeptical about entering the house in front of her, standing under the roof for shelter from the rain. She didn't know why, but she got the strangest feeling that the same thing that happened in her own home was happening right now in Bebe's. At that thought, she took a step back, feet inches away from the porch steps beneath. Droplets of rain splashed onto the back of her soaked socks.

The Stevens' car was still parked in the driveway, but what if the family wasn't in the house anymore? What if Bebe was out looking for someone, and what if that someone was Wendy?

The noirette's lips curled further downward, her unease increasing. She wanted to go home, she wanted her parents back, and she wanted her life back to normal. Wendy could feel her eyes tearing up at the memory of her parents, her mother specifically. It came as a massive shock when she saw her father return with scary glowing dark green eyes and a knife in hand, ready to kill them with no regret. She remembered how her mother defended her to the very end, receiving a fatal stab wound to the chest but manged to hang—just barely, on to life. Wendy didn't see to what happened afterwards, but she could only assume that both her parents were resting in the afterlife, watching over her from Heaven.

Wendy's eyes spilled with tears then, sadness eating away at her so much that her legs began to shake. She didn't drop on her knees right away, because something stopped her from doing so, a sensation that overpowered the coldness coursing through her body. It didn't ease how she felt, rather the feeling only melted away the chill.

The warmth was coming from her right wrist, heating her up entirely at a leisure pace.

With blurry eyes, Wendy raised and rolled up her sleeve, eying her bracelet that glowed a brief yellow. In that instant, the comfortable heat vanished and the cold took it's rightful place back into her body. She shivered a bit, unsure if the short illumination was real or not, using her other sleeve to wipe at her eyes only for the soft, wet fabric to dampen them further than necessary. She lowered her arms with a heavy sigh, deeming the light an illusion. But she was still uncertain on what to do, coming here to Bebe's house was a sudden thought thanks to her bracelet.

 _"I-I'll try knocking and see if anyone's home."_ Wendy lightly bit her bottom lip, inching closer to the door and raising a weakly closed fist to knock on it, hoping someone was inside. After three light knocks, she felt her nervousness returning, taking one small step back and placing her closed hand over her chest. She eyed the door as seconds passed, the waiting unbearable after the passing of five more.

 _"Please, someone answer,"_ she hoped with closed eyes, tightening her fist.

What she got instead was the warm feeling she felt moments ago, however a voice followed afterwards that made her eyes snap open with a gasp leaving through her lips.

 _"It's not safe to go in there,"_ a lady warned, her tone soft and mature.

Wendy blinked, turning around and looking everywhere for the source of the voice.

 _"There's no point looking around Wendy Testaburger, I'm inside your bracelet,"_ the women informed.

Wendy stopped with her front facing away from the door and raised said bracelet up to her field of view, eyes widening slightly at the small yellow glow in the center of the plastic heart. "W-who are you? And how do you know my name?" The little noirette asked nervously.

 _"My name is Elena_   _Edgewood, a_ _nd I am a spirit known as an Inner Guardian. I possess the powers of Light where there are others who posses either the same, Dark, or Mixed. Mixed Guardian's can use both Light and Darkness, but are rare to come by."_

Confusion instantly washed over Wendy's face after Elena was done speaking, debating asking any questions or remaining silent. Her newfound Guardian sensed her bewilderment, and spoke again.

_"Your confusion will change over time, you aren't the only one who's obtained someone like me. I sense another Guardian coming from within this house, however their owner has been taken by the darkness and they can't enter."_

Wendy frowned, turning back and facing the front door. She still had lingering perplexity, but she felt that she could trust this person, feeling that the women could help her in this situation she's stuck in. "U-umm what do we do? My friend might be in there." Or at least she hoped Bebe was still inside, Wendy still had nowhere else to go.

 _"I see,"_ Elena hummed.  _"But as I've told you before, it's not safe to go in there. You're very fortunate no one answered the door when you knocked, you could've either been taken as well or killed if you had of opposed them."_

Wendy's heartbeat sped up at that, the image of her father flashing through her mind. His bright dark green pupil-less eyes were all she saw.

_"Wendy...what is it you wish to do? Although you haven't undergone any training for preparation for these types of situations, you have the option to save your friend or leave her be. The choice is solely up to you, and I'll help the best I can."_

Wendy lowered her arm and bit her bottom lip again, thinking over her choices carefully. She didn't want to die...no, she  _wasn't_  supposed to.

_"You must continue to live. Live until you grow old. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."_

Applying some more pressure onto her lip and closing her hands into shaking fists at her mother's words, Wendy came to a conclusion. Her wet black bangs shadowed her eyes as her head angled down.

"I-I still don't know what's going on, but...I wanna help Bebe. So please, help me."

She couldn't lose her best friend, not with their friendship as it is now. Wendy wanted to rekindle their friendly relationship, no longer having any hesitation that the blonde would doubt her. She wasn't confident that she would be successful in this, even with the mysterious woman called a Inner Guardian. Wendy was just a child with not a single experience in something like this.

Then she thought of Stan, and how the boy was out in this rainstorm with his mother. They were heading to Kyle's house last she recalled, however she still wondered why. Maybe Kyle had been claimed by the darkness like Bebe, and Stan was on his way to save him. Wendy also assumed Stan had no knowledge on this either, just that these Beings of Darkness were here and that was probably why Mrs. Marsh accompanied him.

 _"I wonder if his dad and sister got taken too...At least he still has someone,"_ Wendy thought with bitter sorrow.

Inside the heart-shaped bracelet, the area a bright yellow, stood the Inner Guardian woman with mid-length red hair and light blue eyes, wearing a long white dress with matching flats. Around her neck was a blue pendant necklace. Even though she was inside an object, the bracelet was still apart of Wendy so Elena sensed the depression her host was going through and she sympathized with her.

 _"She's only a child after all,"_ Elena thought to herself, lips a straight line.  _"For her and the other children to go through this so early in age..."_

 _"Wendy,"_ She called softly. Said girl slowly raised her head, orchid orbs glossy as they glanced down at the porch.  _"Let's save Bebe. I might not be beside you physically, but as long as I'm inside this bracelet, I will protect and aid you."_

Wendy sniffled, releasing a small whimper of sadness as a few tears leaked from her eyes. The way Elena spoke reminded her of her mother, the gentle tone she always talked in whenever Wendy was down. She missed her greatly as well as her father, she missed the both of them and wanted them back in her life. Wendy nodded her head, signaling her agreement with her Guardian's words. She sniffled once again and wiped at her eyes, wetting them again in the process without a care. She opened them, gazing up at the door with irresolute determination, her body shaking not just from the cold, but returning anxiousness.

 _"Wendy take a deep breath and relax,"_ Elena instructed, discerning her host's swirling emotions.

Wendy did as told, closing her eyes and inhaling a good lungful of air before exhaling. Opening her eyes again, this time only faint traces of nervousness remained in her orbs, but she was ready. She was ready to rescue her best friend from the evil that lurked within this town. Elena smiled softly at her slowly rising confidence, the sentiment gradually replacing her doubtful feelings.

 _"Since the door is locked, I'm going to transport you inside. No, better yet, you can do it,"_ Elena decided, changing her mind.

Wendy cocked in eyebrow. "Me? But how?"

_"It's simple really, hold out your hand and say 'Teleport, Light Barrier'."  
_

Wendy hesitated for a short moment, doing as instructed with hesitation. Once her hand was held out, she repeated the incantation.

"T-teleport, Light Barrier."

She gasped as the warm feeling from the previous times entered her once again, the source coming from her bracelet that was glowing yellow. Out of nowhere, a matching colored circle enclosed her from beneath her feet, it's illumination that of the sun. With how bright it was, Wendy was shocked that her eyes weren't affected by it, feeling as if she'd been accustomed to it's light for quite some time.

Without further delay, the yellow ball vanished and Wendy instantly appeared inside the Stevens' household. The magic sphere disappeared in the same fashion it appeared in, leaving the noirette in darkness. The glow and warmth faded away, Wendy shivering once again with her arms hugging around her torso to try and keep her warm to barely any extent thanks to her wet sleeves.

She glanced around, eyes slowly adjusting in the dark when a familiar pair of eerie eyes locked with hers from in the living room. Glowing dark green and pupil-less met shadowed orchid.

Wendy gasped in horror and tightened her hands on her shirt, body shaking all over again like an earthquake was taking place.

"B-Bebe...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: ...More cliffhangers!I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)


	19. Still a Friend or Now a Foe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter will be in Cartman and Kenny's POV. Please enjoy)

_Cartman  
_

The town's changed, that Cartman was certain of as he stood in it's empty streets, looking around with bleak dark red eyes through the rain as the dark grey clouds cast a dull yet sinister feel in the air. It's like South Park was drained from color and life. He didn't know how long it's been since he left, since he killed the bastard who was harming his mother, but he didn't care. All he cared about was his mother's safety amidst this whisper of chaos, hoping she hadn't been taken by the darkness yet.

At first, Cartman only came here with the intent on joining in on the fun that was happening near Kyle's house. But once his feet was planted back in his hometown, he suddenly wanted to take a detour before going there. He may have abandoned her for the past week or maybe more—he lost count of the days once he left home, but he had no choice after what he did.

Gripping his knife tightly for a brief moment, he gently shoved it into his jacket pocket, careful not stab himself with it, then took off into a light jog.

For some reason, he knew the way to his home even though he didn't know which part of the town he was in when Zerphy first teleported him here. Cartman glanced around, glimpsing at the seemingly colorless houses which were probably empty. Then again the victims of darkness could still be inside, waiting for something Cartman was uncertain of.

 _"Zerphy,"_ he called upon with a thought, no longer caring about his surroundings anymore until he saw his own house.

 _"Yes?"_ The girl responded.

 _"Can you sense if someone's been taken by the darkness or not?"_ He asked, already anticipating the worst although his Inner Guardian hadn't answered his question yet.

_"Yes, and you want to know if your mother has suffered the same fate as most in this town correct?"_

Cartman almost slowed his pace, but maintained it and nodded his head, lips a thin line.

 _"Well you can rest assured,"_  Zerphy said softly. _"She's still fine, or rather fine in a sense that left her unable to be claimed."_ **  
**

Cartman's expression changed into a look of puzzlement. _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Instead of me telling you, how about you see for yourself. You'll know why then,"_ she said mysteriously.

The little brunette wasn't satisfied with the answer, face changing into a look of grimace as the anticipation of trepidation increased within him. But he didn't doubt her, no matter how secretive she acted sometimes. Zerphy was the one who helped him after all, helped him save his mother. He thanked her many times over after they fled the scene, unaware of the aftereffects they left behind in that room. All Cartman hoped at that time was the well being of his mother. He didn't see the look of shear horror on her face as she stared at the gory mess of the man on the floor, caramel eyes wide with leaking tears and her hands shaking up to her face.

Cartman remembered the words he uttered to her as well, and something deep down told him that it wasn't like him.

At all.

Just when he was about to recall his past words, a deep rumble of thunder startled him, stopping this time as his body heaved with heavy pants. He looked around again, noticing he was at his destination. His heavy breathing ceased even though his heart was still pounding. Slowly, he approached his home, footsteps suddenly feeling as though he was trudging through a heap of snow.

It felt as if hours had passed by the time he set his feet on the porch, body feeling heavy like a boulder. He didn't know why, but he felt like a stranger—like an intruder confusing the house he was trying to break into. The feeling was very strange to him, foreign even.

 _"Eric, take deep breath. Relax."_ Zerphy instructed gently.

Cartman swallowed nervously before doing as told, repeating the process until he felt his body no longer feeling sluggish. He opened his eyes, and slowly reached for the doorknob, twisting it to find it unlock. He frowned as the feeling of deja vu washed over him, pushing the door forward.

The first thing he was greeted with was darkness, the outside lighting the inside to a small but helpful extent. Cartman entered, and lightly shut the door behind him. He almost took his shoes off, but quickly stopped himself. It was an instinctive action that made his frown deepen. Balling his hands into fists, he walked away from the front and entered the living room, eyes adjusting to the dark then almost reaching into his pocket for his knife once he spotted a figure on the sofa. It didn't take no more than a second for him to recognize the person, so he relaxed himself with another deep breath and cautiously neared them.

"Mom?" He called in a quiet voice, startling the women immensely.

She sat up and her head quickly looked around for his voice like that of a bird, stopping when she saw Cartman's silhouette. He couldn't see how her eyes squinted at him, seemingly trying to discern whom he was through the darkness.

"W-who are..." she trailed off.

"Hi mom," Cartman said sheepishly, causing a gasp to leave through his mother's lips.

"E-Eric...?" Cartman wasn't able to detect if she was scared, shocked, or both by her hushed tone. She abruptly stood on her feet, taking slow steps back from the boy. He gave her a look of confusion, moving forward only to come to a quick halt after the woman's panicked cry.

"STOP! D-don't come near me..." She ended in a whimper.

Cartman eyed her with hurt filled eyes although she couldn't see it. "Mom what's wrong?" He asked, both worried and still confused.

He received a stifled whimper from her in response, her figure now nearly out of the living room. Her body was shaking, that Cartman could tell with a hand over her mouth. Before he could even think about taking another step towards her, she spoke again from behind her hand.

"Get out..."

Even though her voice was muffled, Cartman heard the command clearly and her sad, angry tone caused his body to tense up. He ignored the pang that entered his heart, and took a step forward, eyes glossy with tears.

"Mom-"

"I said get out!" Cartman stopped with a flinch, stunned to hear her shout at him like that. It was literally the first time she'd ever raised her voice at him, even when he did something bad, she still never resorted to yelling at him. Cartman gaped at her with tears slowly trailing down his cheeks, his mother's shaking hand held over her chest with the other wrapped around her waist. "Please leave," she begged weakly.

Cartman balled his hands into fists again, refusing to go when he didn't even know what he did wrong for her to act like this. "Why? What did I do?" He asked, trying not to make his voice quaver.

"You know what you did," his mother practically seethed though it was not in anger. "You killed someone Eric, no...you  _slaughtered_  him."

Cartman knew instantly what she was talking about, but he had a very good reason for his actions that day. "He was hurting you! I did it to save you!"

"You didn't have to murder him! You could've called the police or ran to our neighbor's for help. Do you even know what you did to that man? What I saw after you left?" He assumed she choked on her words for a moment, Cartman knowing that what he did left her in a traumatized state and what Zerphy meant by his mother being 'fine'. "You've been gone for nearly half a week, where did you even go for that long? I was worried sick about you," she whispered.

"I'm sorry..." Cartman wiped his eyes with his sleeve then held his head down in shame, loosening his clenched fists as he faced away from his mother. He couldn't tell her where he'd been the passing week, that he'd been in a different realm before coming back to earth. Then again maybe he should since this town was no longer safe to be in, and this planet was slowly straying down the same path.

 _"Zerphy...should I tell her?"_ He asked his Guardian, hoping she could help him out.

_"Do what you think is best Eric, even if she stays here no darkness will claim a body that will be useless to them now and in the future. However once she regains herself, they will come back for her."_

Cartman wasn't sure if he should feel relieved that his mother was safe from harm for the time being, or if he should feel anxious about leaving her left in the dark about what was happening right now. As he debated the option of telling his mother or not, he took a deep inhale then held it as he straightened himself upright before exhaling. He kept his back towards her with a conclusion.

"Mom...there's something you need to know," he began, slowly turning back to his mother. As he channeled some magic into his hands, his orbs slowly began to brighten in color and he continued talking. "Where I've been isn't important right now, because you'll be going there after I'm done explaining. This place isn't safe anymore, a creature called a Being of Darkness has been lurking here for a while and decided now to take action. It's already claimed almost everyone here, and to keep you from falling victim to it, I'm going to transport you to my Inner Guardian's realm until things blow over."

There was a minute long tense silence between them, only the heavy rain hammering against the house was heard. Liane was paralyzed with fear, staring into vibrant blood red eyes that left her unable to speak. She felt like she was staring into the eyes of a demon. She didn't know when or why he changed suddenly, maybe it happened after he killed Tony, this 6 year old boy was no longer the son she knew or gave birth to. Fresh tears poured down from her eyes and she closed them, unable to look at Cartman any longer.

_"What happened to you Eric...?"_

The little brunette gave her a hurt, small smile, aware that she wasn't able to digest this all in one go, but unaware that it was actually something else entirely that had her shaken. However he didn't say anything more, raising his hands that were encased in a glowing red as a matching barrier made itself known around his mother. She still refused to open her eyes even though she knew something strange was happening to her, and that gave her all the more reason not to look.

The bright red sphere brightened every inch of the living room with it's crimson glow. "Teleport to the land of Darkness."

After saying the incantation, the barrier dimmed in color followed by it's transparency. His mother opened her eyes to spare a glimpse at her former son, seeing the small smile gracing his lips that didn't go well with his eyes. She looked away with half-closed eyes, tightening her hands over her chest and around her waist. Soon the barrier was gone along with his mother, and so was the light from Cartman's hands, leaving the boy alone in the dark. He dropped his hands to his sides, lips a thin line and red eyes having a mischievous gleam in them.

Now that his mother was away from danger, nothing or no one else mattered to him anymore.

 _"Are you ready Eric?"_  Zerphy asked, also having the same look on her face inside the black void of Cartman's mind.

He used one hand to reach inside his jacket pocket, touching the handle of the knife and slowly pulling it out. A smirk spread across his lips once the blade was out wholly, and he held it up to his face, the shaded metal reflecting his scarlet orbs from it's surface with no extra light needed.

He chuckled darkly. "Of course I am."

This time a purple sphere enclosed Cartman from underneath his feet, and in that instant, he was gone from the house.

* * *

_Kenny_

Having the air constricted from entering his lungs felt nothing new to him, and it was all thanks to the deaths he went through that were similar to this one. Suffocation was something he was used to.

Although that was the case, Kenny refused to give in and die, not caring that his efforts to pry the Being of Darkness' hand off from around his neck was futile. He'd come this far already and though if he were to die right now, he would come back, the downfall would be waiting who knew how long for him to revive again. Stan and Mrs. Marsh would most likely be killed by then, and Kyle and South Park would be no more.

Kenny still wondered why Kyle, what was his purpose in all of this. Why were he and his friends warned about him?

He quickly pushed the thought behind him, deciding that once they defeat this guy, he and Stan would ask Kyle themselves directly. That is if they survived and if Kyle himself knew the answer.

With gritted teeth and some struggling, Kenny cracked an eye open, his hazel orb back to normal, straining to keep it from closing as his air supply almost ran on empty. He felt as if he was trying not to drown underwater, swimming desperately up for air that seemed so far out of reach. He couldn't call upon Yuna to help him, not with trying to breath the only thing his brain was thinking of.

What he managed to see nearly made the Being of Darkness' attempt at choking him seem vain, looking past the dark male and seeing a scene that made him feel weaker than he already was.

Kenny knew his vision wasn't playing tricks on him as he watched Stan slowly rise onto his feet, head cast down with his wet black bangs concealing a look Kenny was hesitant to see. Once Stan was up, he stood still in place like a statue, keeping his head down.

Suddenly, the blonde found himself being let go and he landed hard onto his butt, the lightheaded feeling vanishing and air finding it's way back into his system. He coughed as he gripped his chest, allowing more oxygen to enter him. He calmed down after a couple of seconds with a groan. He kept his hand on his chest as he looked past the Being of Darkness' leg and at Stan, sensing a foreboding feeling in the air. He flinched when he heard a deep laughter amidst the verbal silence.

"Interesting," the man hummed, clearly amused as he eyed Stan, his sharp canines widening into a pleased grin. "You gonna fight in his place, Guardian?"

 _"Guardian?"_ Kenny thought, confused and shocked. He pressed his lips firmly together and tightened his hand on his parka, body shaking slightly once he saw Stan raise his head in a slow, teasing manner. He watched the noirette intently, close to gasping once he saw the others eye a dull teal, Stan's bangs hiding his other eye. He had a cocky smirk on his lips, and the dreadful feeling floating about in the atmosphere increased tremendously. Kenny gripped his parka even tighter as his body grew in trembles.

Stan chuckled a bit, Kenny grimacing at how arrogant he sounded. "Yes I am, so I hope you've had your fun because it's about time to put an end to you," he declared smugly, voice a monotone.

The Being of Darkness whistled before laughing. "Well aren't you a cocky bastard? We'll see who's gonna die first so you best be ready!"

Kenny shielded his eyes with his free hand when a sprayful of water flew from where the man was once standing. Kenny took his arm away and opened his eyes, widening them when he saw the Dark Being towering over Stan with his red sword held in front of him from Kenny's view. He gasped when a few drops of blood landed onto the ground, slowly dissolving in the clear water thanks to the constant downpour.

"Stan!" Kenny cried, stirring Sharon from her rest. She slowly opened her eyes with a feeble groan.

Bleary with a combination of exhaustion and pain, she tried her best to sit up, using the worried cry of her son's name to fuel her with some energy. She winced and held her stomach with her wounded arm, propping herself up on her good arm's elbow against the sidewalk behind her. She panted from the exertion, one eye closed with her other looking at the stiff Being of Darkness.

Kenny carefully rose to his feet, still lacking energy from his near-death experience and he panted slightly, keeping his hand over his chest.

"K-Kenny," he heard from behind him. He turned around to the sight of Mrs. Marsh struggling to stay upright. Just when he was about to approach her, she held up a hand to stop him, still gasping for air with both eyes partly open. "W-what's going on? Are you okay?" She asked.

Kenny frowned, confused as to why she only asked about his condition and not Stan's. Kenny twisted his head to look in Stan's direction, but before he could answer, he saw the Being of Darkness swiftly jump away from the little noirette, his hazel eyes watching the man land on top of the roof on the house behind them. Their smile was replaced with a scowl.

A chuckle caused Kenny to direct his eyes to the source. "What's wrong? Scared?" Stan's taunt earned him a growl in response from his opponent.

Kenny was shocked that Stan wasn't fazed by the deep cut on his hand, the wound big as his palm and deep enough to see his flesh. The only expression he bore was arrogance, the look turning into a worrisome combination with his cockiness that Kenny couldn't describe as the boy looked at his bleeding hand. Suddenly, a red aura sprung forth from thin air around Stan's hand, a camouflaging yet bright silver appearing and blending in from it's center.

Kenny watched in awe as Stan's leaking blood slithered up his arm and to his palm, Kenny assuming he was healing himself but he couldn't get very far when the Being of Darkness abruptly appeared behind him. For some odd reason, the black haired boy wasn't disturbed by the fast movement, silently summoning up a red barrier to protect himself from the male's attack that was aimed for his neck.

The Being tsk'd and jumped back, Stan turning around to face him as his magical barrier vanished into the ground. "You damn Guardian, quit foolin' around and fight!" The man hissed.

Stan gave him another smug grin, cocking his head back slightly which caused his bangs to move to the side and reveal his other eye. "What, I thought I was being generous. Letting you get at least another hit in before I killed you," he mocked.

The evil man clenched his teeth and sword in rising anger. "You little-"

"Hold it!" A voice interrupted.

Everyone's, except for Stan's and Sharon's, expressions changed into a look of bewilderment, Kenny stumbling back with a cry when a fog of purple formed in front of him near his feet. Soon, a matching colored sphere surfaced from the mist.

"Don't kill it yet, I want in."

The Being's face changed back into irritation. "Shit, should've ended this before more of them showed up," he said to himself, regretting his choice to toy with these people.

Kenny nervously kept his eyes on the emerging round object, getting a glimpse of matted brown hair followed by the owner's red jacket. A gasp of shock left through Kenny's lips, recognizing the person instantly.

"C-Cartman?!"

Said boy was visible inside his container, his back to Kenny and the barrier dissolving into smoke. Cartman gave him a sideways smirk, Kenny widening his eyes at the others red orb. Cartman faced forward and approached Stan, who didn't acknowledge him when he appeared. He stood beside the noirette, and gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder.

"Havin' a hard time?" He asked jokingly.

Stan gave him a stoic corner-eyed glare. "Like hell I am," he replied, slightly annoyed causing Cartman to chuckle.

"You little shit's better not let your guard down," the Being threatened, extending his free hand as a red ball of energy formed from the center of his palm, growing into the size of a basketball. He wasted no time firing it, just when it's centimeters away from blowing the two boys to bits, a red barrier large enough to protect them blocked it, and exploded upon impact. Stan and Cartman gave the man a blank look, then Cartman did a mock yawn as the magical circle disappeared.

"Weaaak," the brunette drawled.

The Being was pissed now, not liking the fact that he'd already screwed himself over by deciding to take his time with these humans, but now two children were making a fool out of him. Two children who were possessed by their Inner Guardian. A dark red aura suddenly began to radiate around the shadow man, appearing like mist but with a mixed image of fire to indicate his rage.

"Uh oh, I think we made him mad," Cartman teased with chuckle. Stan remained quiet and kept his impassive facade.

"Every last one of you fucking bastards are dead," the man declared with boiling anger, raising and pointing his blade that seemed sharper and deadlier than before at the two. "And I'm starting with you arrogant brats first!"

Back to Kenny, who was rendered stunned in place, slightly widened eyes staring at his two friends as they expertly blocked and countered the Being's attacks that were hard to keep up with.

 _"W-what's happened to them? How are they doing all of this?"_ He thought, mainly to himself but he hoped Yuna knew the answer. But his Guardian had been oddly quiet for awhile. He jumped a little when he heard approaching footsteps nearing his left, but rest assured when he heard their familiar voice and turned his head to look at them.

"This can go either way," Mrs. Marsh predicted, standing next to Kenny with her wounded arm still clutching her middle as she watched her son and Cartman battle the Dark entity with a unconcerned stare. Kenny couldn't tell if it was forced or not, and he looked back at the fighting three.

"What do you mean?" He asked softly.

"Both Stan and Cartman are influenced by their Guardian, and since they're both Dark...The effects are not good," Mrs. Marsh informed grimly.

Kenny looked back at her with worry. "What are you talking about?" He really wanted to know although a sudden feeling told him that he was already witnessing the consequences.

"All Guardian's are able to take control of their host's body, combining their powers to great lengths. But they must have their host's consent first. They can also do it if their host is in a dire situation, however doing so leads to a bad outcome since the host didn't grant them permission. It's basically a prohibited technique that can only be used if really necessary. But Cartman's...is a different case..."

 _"Something doesn't seem right about him,"_ she thought to herself.

Kenny hugged his right arm. "W-will they be okay?" And how do you know all of this he thought to himself. He knew there was much more she was hiding about herself, and about what was going on.

Mrs. Marsh took a seconds pause, worrying Kenny even more as he feared the worst. "Once they regain access to their body, they'll be out for a while due to exhaustion, but will be fine. Right now we need to make use of this opportunity, and rescue Kyle." She walked behind Kenny in the direction of the redhead's house.

"Wait! Aren't we gonna help them?!" Kenny asked, keeping his feet from following her. He wanted to save Kyle, but he couldn't leave Stan and Cartman by themselves with the Being of Darkness, even if they were taken over by their Guardian.

Mrs. Marsh stopped but didn't turn to face him. "They can handle this themselves, their Guardian's are strong. You're here to save Kyle aren't you?"

Kenny's breath hitched and his eyes grew slightly, did she just read his mind? "H-how did you-"

Unexpectedly, a red flash of a beam flew in the middle of them, kicking up a gust of wind and rain droplets. Kenny gaped ahead of him, reactionless since it happened so suddenly.

"Don't even think about it," Cartman threatened, lowering his outstretched hand down with his face into a warning scowl. "Save Kyle my ass, I didn't come here to do that. I came here to kill him."

His statement both made Sharon turn around and for to Kenny to give him a look of complete disbelief. "K-kill him?! Why?!"

Cartman gave him a deadpan look. "Are you serious? Have your Guardian tell you," he scoffed before focusing back to his battle, barrier blocking an energy blast that was heading straight at him.

Kenny frowned and looked down at the ground, having no need to ask Yuna since he already knew why. He only asked Cartman, because he didn't think the boy would decide to kill Kyle when their options were to let him be taken by the darkness or to save him. Kenny hoped he's not going to do it out of spite since the two weren't the bests of friends. He released his arm and formed his hands into fists at his sides. Screw Cartman he thought, he's not going to let him hurt Kyle when he came here to save him. He didn't come here just to let it end with Kyle being killed, whether it's by the hands of the Being of Darkness or Cartman.

Kenny will rescue Kyle, even if he had to do it by himself.

He looked up, clenching his fists as he gave Cartman's back a defiant glare. He then spared a glance at Stan, sad to see the boy only focused on his opponent as well. It's like he gave up on Kyle all of a sudden, not caring about the red haired boy as he fought.

 _"Guess it doesn't mean anything to you now since your Guardian is the one in control,"_ Kenny thought sadly.

He turned away then took off as fast as he could in the direction of Kyle's house in case Cartman tried anything once he's aware of what Kenny was doing. He ran past Mrs. Marsh, the woman standing still as she mumbled something that almost went unheard.

"Good luck Kenny."

The blonde almost stopped, but only pushed himself to run faster when he heard Cartman's angry demand for him to stop. Kenny nearly fell when a strong gust of wind blew behind him, but he preserved his pace with his eyes closed and teeth clenched, not looking back to see what caused the commotion.

As he neared Kyle's house, he worried about the silence of his Inner Guardian. He opened his eyes, watching the redhead's house come into closer view.

 _"Yuna?"_ He called, only to receive no response inside his head. Panic began to set in. _"Yuna?! Hey are you there?! Answer me!"_

Just when Kenny was mere feet away from the dark green house, a sudden blast from behind sent him flying into the air, landing on his back at least three yards away from his destination. It was strong enough to leave a crater in the asphalt, but it wasn't deep. Kenny cried out as blood flew from out of his mouth, the sound of his bones producing a disgusting crack from the hard impact against the street. He coughed harshly with more but little blood coming out, chest heaving with labored breaths, eyes wide and body burning in agony.

"The hell do you think you're doin'?" He heard the familiar voice ask, their tone slightly angry as they approached him. If Yuna wasn't acting so strange right now, she would've warned him about the attack and he would've blocked it. Just what was going on with her? And why now at a time like this?

Kenny tried to move, but the moment he did an additional searing pain coursed throughout his body, eyes leaking with tears and blood trailing down each side of his lips. The footsteps stopped near his head, his eyes seeing a big red through blurry vision.

"This wouldn't have happened if you just would've stayed put back there or helped us out, though we wouldn't have needed it. Mrs. Marsh wasn't must of a threat like I thought she was gonna be, so getting past her was easy, just like beating that weak ass Being of Darkness," Cartman bragged.

Kenny continued to gasp for air although it hurt, his ribs were definitely fractured.  _"Y-Yuna..."_ It even pained him to think, and he shut his eyes with a whimper. He could  _really_  use Yuna's healing right now.

"Aww poor Kenny," Cartman cooed mockingly, squatting down to his level. "Don't worry, I'll end your suffering, and Kyle will be next."

He stood up with a smirk and placed a pulsating red hand over Kenny's face, tired hazel eyes weakly opening to watch it take over his vision without a hint of fear. He closed his eyes again.

This was a death he was accustomed to after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: Another cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed and the next will be up soon)


	20. Staying Strong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: This chapter is in Stan's, Kyle's, and Kenny's POV. Please enjoy)

_Stan_

"Didn't I tell you Stan? It's like you wanted this to happen."

Stan was staring into the eyes of his supposed super best friend Kyle, who was glaring at him. The two were standing in the deserted streets of South Park, however what confused Stan was the frozen rain around them. The droplets were visible like small clear pearls, levitating in the air as if time had came to a complete stop. They actually looked very pretty.

"Did you hear me?" Kyle asked in annoyance.

Stan frowned. "Yeah, I heard you. But...what did I do though?" He asked, causing the redhead to further narrow his eyes. Stan flinched at the angry glare.

"Are you serious? You should know since you let it happen," Kyle almost snapped. "Have you forgotten what I told you the last time we met?"

Stan didn't even need to rack his brain to remember the warning the other gave him that day in his dream. "No, but what was I supposed to do? Chris is stronger than me."

Kyle heaved a sigh, keeping his scowl as he closed the slight gap between them. "You should've confronted him about it the instant you felt something odd about him. No matter how strong he is, a Guardian cannot harm their host so you had nothing to fear. But it's too late now. You gave him what he wanted."

Stan deepened his frown. "What do you mean?" He was now even more nervous than before, feeling that whatever happened was more than just bad.

Kyle's facial expression went blank. "I'll show you." Was all he said before walking past Stan, and raising one of his hands that was being surrounded in a transparent black aura. Stan turned around to see the still raindrops changing in the same color as Kyle's hand, afterwards a matching misty object manifested itself in the air from the droplets, forming into a portal-like mirror. Stan gaped up at the eerie spell while Kyle lowered his hand down once it's back to normal. He kept his back to Stan.

"Look closely," Kyle said, and as soon as he did, an image began to form in the mirror's center. Stan walked forward for a better look, eyes widening in both shock and confusion at what he saw in the glass.

Only the head and neck was visible. A sinister grin was on the person's lips, and their visible eye was a lifeless teal with the bang of their black hair covering their other eye. Stan knew all too well whom they were, but there was one thing missing, and that single detail was what stood out from the rest. Stan wasn't exactly sure if it was Chris or not.

"That's you Stan, or rather it's your Inner Guardian," Kyle informed him, confusing Stan even more instead of shocking him by the news.

"Me? How?" The noirette questioned, observing the boy in the mirror intently.

Kyle sighed, annoyed all over again. "My God, it's question after question with you," he grumbled, then turned around to face Stan with a returning scowl. "At this very moment, your Guardian is in control of your body, fighting the Being of Darkness in your place. An Inner Guardian can possess their host's body, but with their permission. The host receives great power from their Guardian, combining their strength to defeat just about anyone. But if they aren't granted access and they take over the host, then not only will the Guardian be in complete charge, but there will be some aftereffects. What they are, depends. This will happen to you Stan, but you still have time to regain control back into your body to prevent anything serious from happening."

Stan stood staring at Kyle in stunned silence, the other boy's information rendering him beyond speechless. He honestly had no idea how to digest all of this when he was  _still_  lost on what was happening, rather he wasn't sure if he could fathom it all in go. Everything's been happening so suddenly and unexpectedly ever since that night in his room, and to make it worst, he had to encounter Kyle amidst it all. No, future Kyle from what the other told him: where he's cold and conceited to others.

Definitely not the Kyle he knows right now.

"You really aren't Kyle..." Stan mumbled unintentionally, but it was true and he didn't care if the redhead heard him. And that's when it dawned on him, the purpose of his being out here in the first place. He's here to rescue the  _real_  Kyle, and Stan hoped he could prevent this Kyle before him from becoming a reality. Not just him, but with Kenny, his mother, and Cartman's help as well, also along with other people who have Inner Guardian's.

Stan formed his hands into fists, and clenched them tight in resolve as his sapphire eyes stared into Kyle's bleak lime-green ones. Shortly after an amused smile graced the Jewish boy's lips, although underneath it was something peculiar Stan couldn't describe any further. The magical mirror dissolved into black smoke, not disrupting the afloat raindrops as it disappeared.

"I don't know what's got you pumped right now, but are you ready to get out there and do something?"

Stan wasted no time nodding, this time he's truly prepared to fight. Saving his super best friend fueled his determination once again, but this time it gave him not a single doubt.

_"This is for Kyle. I'm fighting to save him. I'm sure he'd do the same if it were me."_

Stan watched Kyle approach him, maintaining his grin that didn't discourage the noirette. He held his palm directly in Stan's face, catching him off guard.

"Alright then, good luck,  _Stan_."

Abruptly, his field of vision was engulfed by a dark green light and he was gone.

Kyle's smile deepened and he released a chuckle through sealed lips.

_"That determination of yours won't very last long I'm afraid."_

* * *

_Kyle_

The boy heard it all. Heard  _all_  of the commotion that happened outside of his prison of a room.

He was curled on his bed with his back against the wall, having been in that position for hours, probably since yesterday. That he was sure of since previously he was asleep.

The next sound he heard was closer and louder, startling him upright with wide eyes looking at his blocked window. Afterwards someone or something Kyle couldn't identify landed on the ground with a hard thud, then the rain filled the silence.

_"W-what...just happened?"_

Suddenly footsteps neared his room at a hasty pace, and Kyle knew instantly whom they belonged to, getting an even more dreadful feeling in his stomach. A few seconds later, his door flew open to reveal the silhouette of his mother, her bright dark green eyes narrowed. Kyle looked away.

"Kyle we must go," she declared in a tone mixed with irritation and panic.

Kyle whipped his head around to face her again. "W-why? What's going on?!" He was desperate to know what's been happening in this town, his mother had left him in the dark, both figuratively and literally. He felt that he was supposed to know more than just about his powers and about him going to that strange mansion he saw in his dream.  _A lot more._

"You'll know later." Sheila entered his room, easily located his hand and grabbed him, pulling him out of bed without any care. Kyle was close to falling and landing on his face as he was tugged out of bed, struggling to match up to the woman's hurried movement when his feet touched the floor. They exited the room and descended the downstairs, taking them cautiously so they didn't fall. Even though his mother was possessed, it seemed she still cared about him, or that's what it appeared to him at least.

"What about dad and-" Kyle's question fell short when he felt his foot miss a step. He felt their clasped hand loosening as he slipped, the venture slow as time appeared as if it was slowing him down. His mouth was open, but he couldn't produce a scream, not even a gasp. It happened so suddenly that it left him unable to make any sounds. The redhead grew even more worried when he noticed that his mother wasn't attempting to save him.

Maybe she didn't care about him after all...

Just when it seemed like time was flowing back to normal as he went about his fall, a bright white light suddenly emerged at the bottom of the stairs. Then just as quickly as it appeared, it expanded and swallowed him whole before disappearing.

Sheila stood in the darkness, softening her eyes as she stared at the spot where Kyle was prior. She curled her hands into fists at her sides, and closed her eyes with gritted teeth.

"I'm so sorry Bubbe."

**/**

Kyle's eyes shot open to find himself in an endless space known as the white abyss. Although it was bright and he'd been hidden in the dark for so long, it strangely didn't agitate his eyes. He sat up then stood on his feet, looking around but seeing nothing but white surrounding him.

 _"Where am I...and what was that light?"_ He wondered, but was thankful that it saved him from his fall. He could still feel his heart racing from the almost life ending descent, and he placed a hand over his chest, his expression saddening as he thought of his mother not helping him.

"Guess she really doesn't care about me..." His racing heart gradually slowed to normal and ached. He lowered his hand down to his side and balled his hands into fists as his lips trembled, eyes watering with hurtful tears.

"You're wrong Kyle."

Kyle's head snapped upward at the voice, eyes widening in shock and hands going slack when he saw a little girl with black hair and maroon eyes, who appeared about his age or maybe a year younger than him walking towards him. She stopped until they were face to face, giving him a small smile as she placed her hands behind her back.

"Your mother still cares about you, she never stopped loving you even when the darkness claimed her," the girl told him, but even though her tone was sincere, Kyle couldn't help but doubt her.

He shook his head. "No she doesn't. If she did then she wouldn't have locked me in my room all of a sudden without any light, she wouldn't have ignored me or treated me coldly...She would've saved me when I was falling down the stairs just now!" He was aware of the tears sliding down his face, looking down at the white floor with shaking shoulders. "She never cared about me the day she changed," he whispered with a hint of anger in his sad tone.

Kyle's body stiffened when he felt a cold yet comforting hand on his shoulder, looking up with tear leaking lime-green eyes into calm maroon. "She does and still will," Yuna pressed reassuringly. "She had no other choice since the darkness was controlling her, clouding her senses with nothing but serving evil. The reason of the days where she seemed normal was because she was struggling, struggling to overpower the corruption, and she was doing it for her family. Most normal humans couldn't do something like that, even with will alone, but your mother did. Alas she couldn't fight it any longer. But Kyle, I'm here for a reason." She took her hand off his shoulder and took a step back, giving him a serious look.

"My name is Yuna, and I am a spirit known as an Inner Guardian. I left my host behind to come see you, and I didn't tell them about this either so I have to make this quick for the battle isn't over yet. He and his other friends were battling a Being of Darkness near your area, but was defeated by a boy named Eric Cartman with the help of your other friend Stanley Marsh. Sadly, Eric is no longer a trustworthy ally. At first it was you, however the fact still applies for the time being. Can I trust you to aid Stanley and Kenneth? With the three of you working together, you all can stop Eric, plus..." She gave him a faint grin. "It'll be good training for you."

Kyle blinked then wiped at his eyes, giving the girl a conflicted expression. "I...I don't think I'm ready for something like this yet," he admitted earnestly. "I mean I understand what you told me, but...I...just can't," he ended almost inaudibly, glancing back down at the floor.

With a small smile forming onto to her lips, Yuna sympathized with the boy. "I completely understand, it's not fair that children are to battle the darkness this early in age. But if you want to survive along with your friends and family, then you must fight. Neither the Beings of Darkness or the darkness itself will go easy on you all just because you're children, the Dark Master must think it's going be easier for them to rule because of that."

Kyle looked up at the anger in her voice, but he still felt doubtful and nervous. "T-then...can you tell me something?" He inquired, recalling his dream in hopes this spirit child could answer his question.

Yuna appeared hesitant at first, but nodded. "But please make it quick, I must return to Kenneth."

Kyle widened his eyes slightly at the mention of his orange parka wearing friend's name, but reduced them back to normal shortly after. "I-I had this dream where me and Stan went to a strange building in the middle of the woods. He told me that I was gonna go there one day once the moon no longer existed, but someone was gonna be with me. I umm was wondering if you know anything about it or something?" He asked bashfully.

Kyle watched the little girl nervously for her answer, practically ready to shed some sweat at the puzzled expression she gave him. "Kyle," she finally spoke. "Do you know what kind of powers you posses?"

The boy shook his head, and Yuna continued. "I'm not entirely sure of your reason for going to such a place, but I have the suspicion that it's because of your powers. Unlike others who acquire their magic through Guardian's, yours is a very different case. You have the powers of Darkness, do you know how you awakened them?"

Biting his bottom lip lightly, Kyle pushed his mind to think. The first he was able to recall was being at Stan's house when it happened, but what happened afterwards? It was something that refused to surface in his mind, an important piece that he really needed in order to know more about his powers.

 _"C'mon Kyle think,"_ he urged himself, furrowing his eyebrows and applying a little more pressure against his lip.

Yuna frowned, the scene around them being swallowed by darkness. "You can stop, you don't have to force yourself to remember. I must go now, and when you come to you'll be with the others so be prepared. All I can say about your powers is...-"

Kyle saw her lips moving but he couldn't hear what she was saying, eyes enlarging as the two of them were quickly taken into the darkness.

**/**

Groaning in exhaustion and flinching at the barrage of wetness hammering against his body, Kyle slowly opened his eyes, then opened them all of the way quickly after with a jolt into a sitting position.

 _"I'm...outside?"_ He thought as he glanced around, the cold air and heavy rain answering his question. He grimaced as his soaked pajamas clung to his body, his afro tamed by the downpour. He stopped looking with a taut when he caught the sight of a black being laying face first in the yard of someone's house along with a little boy sitting on their knees with their hunched back to him. Kyle carefully rose to his feet, eyes lingering on the mysterious figures with a sense of uneasy familiarity.

Swallowing and gripping his shirt over his stomach, Kyle took slow strides towards them, his heart picking up a slight rhythm. He stopped once he's near the curb of the sidewalk, getting a better inspection of the two unmoving persons. He was able to discern the black hair of the boy with a bit of ease, but that didn't uplift the anxiousness he was feeling.

He gulped again. "S-Stan?" He called timidly, receiving no response from the child.

Instead, a large mass of black smoke began to evaporate from out of the dark individual's body, releasing an angry groan of a growl. Kyle gripped his shirt tighter, taking a shaky step back when he saw the male slowly push himself up with his hands, his growling becoming distinguishable.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." The Dark Being hissed, keeping his position on all fours. "You have  _got_  to be  _fucking_  kidding me."

Kyle took another step back, eyes shaking as he watched the wicked gas coming from the Being increasing.  _"W-what is he?"_ He wondered in fear.

The BOD stood up, his hand into a fist that was shaking with more than just anger, his other arm held over his abdomen. His cape was tattered along with his hood, but only by a small margin. "I refuse to be defeated by brats. I'll fucking kill them. Starting with that fat little shit first."

Kyle literally felt his heart stop when the tall figure turned his head his way, feeling his breath lodging inside his throat at the sight of visible sharp teeth underneath his pit of a hood.

"Oh?" The man mused, looking down at the idle Stan by his feet with a slight curve of his teeth. "Guess I'll start with you then, you also gave me a hard time." He let go of his stomach, stretching his arm out to his side as a red sword materialized from his closed palm, revealing a hole in his gut filled with purple mushy looking flesh swirling inside. Kyle covered his mouth, stifling a gag that alerted the dark creature of a man.

The boy panicked. _"O-oh no..."_

The BOD directed his attention to Kyle, cocking his head to side slightly with his teeth curving downward as he lowered his arm down to his side. "Oh man, your timing couldn't have been worse, so much for the surprise." His canines suddenly curled into a smile, placing and hovering his weapon above Stan's head. "But since you're here Kyle Broflovski, or should I address you as the 'Apprentice of the Master.' You get to witness the first friend of yours die before your very eyes."

He raised his arm high above his head with a sick smile, bringing it down quickly after without an ounce of hesitation. Stan's apparent eye flew open, displaying a radiant sapphire.

Without any thought, Kyle began running towards him. His body feeling like he was moving in slow motion once again.

"NOOO!"

After his plea, a brief strong gust of wind blew from where they were like a shockwave, sending the raindrops and many strands of grass back. The short powerful force sent Kyle stumbling to the ground, landing harshly on his back with his head colliding with the sidewalk, knocking him out instantly.

* * *

_Kenny_

It took at least a minute for Kenny to comprehend that he was still alive, once again escaping death's grasp. His entire body still hurt beyond any pain he'd felt before yet he was still alive. He was pretty sure Cartman was serious about killing him but what happened? Why did he stop? Did he have a second thought and decided to let him suffer instead?

 _"Kenneth?"_ The familiar voice asked. Kenny snapped his eyes open with shock fueling him with a bit of energy. In that instant, a radiant white entered his hazy view, watching and hearing as the many raindrops pelted against the barrier. He blinked his bleary orbs weakly, mustering up enough strength to use his brain.

_"Y-Yuna?"_

_"Yes it's me Kenneth,"_ his Guardian assured, her tone guilty.  _"I'm really sorry for leaving without any notice, but there was something I needed to do. Can you please forgive me?"_

Kenny actually had to think on this one, not caring that it pained him further. Leaving without saying a word, leaving him to fight on his own, leaving him to almost get killed was pretty messed up...Although he had such thoughts, he wasn't mad at her. Rather he  _couldn't_  be mad. He produced a weak small smile, half-lidded eyes captivated by the many tiny splashes against the magical sphere.

_"Y-yeah, I forgive you. But where did you go?"_

Yuna gave him a unseen grin.  _"You'll know very soon, but for right now, relax. I'm going to heal you."_

And that's what he did when the comforting cool tingle ran throughout his body, feeling as though he could fall asleep amidst the process. But suddenly, his eyes flew open when he heard a growl not far from his position. Kenny began to panic, almost forgetting about Cartman.

_"Yuna-"_

_"Don't worry, he can't harm you. No matter how powerful he is, his strength alone will not best mine,"_ Yuna told him fearlessly. But Kenny wasn't put at ease, even though he believed her. Only if Cartman _was_   _alone_ in strength would he not fear for his life right now. Kenny sat up without any effort although some parts of his body still ached, he still stood on his feet. He wobbled a bit, but kept his footing, turning around to see a pissed off Cartman glaring daggers from his blood red eyes. Kenny widened his eyes in paralyzed horror, looking at the sharp knife gripped tightly in the boy's hand.

_"Yuna, Cartman isn't by himself. He and his Guardian are fighting together, no Cartman is his Guardian!"_

_"What?"_ Yuna questioned, not understanding what Kenny was trying tell her.  _"Kenneth what are you-"_

"You got lucky," Cartman hissed, taking menacing steps towards Kenny. His knife emitted a red aura around it, then glowed in the same color. "Don't take this lightly just cuz your Guardian saved you. You're still dead!" Cartman dashed towards Kenny, raising his glowing weapon slightly high in the air.

_"Yuna!"_

_"Right, when I dispel the barrier, counter him quickly."_

Kenny nodded whilst biting his bottom lip, channeling some magic into his hands. Hazel eyes once again joined with white, and another strand of his blonde hair got taken over by the same color.

Once the barrier was down, Cartman was only seconds away from slashing him where he stood, but suddenly a violent blast of wind blew into them. The strong current sent boys to the ground, sliding until their Guardian's stopped them in a barrier.

"The hell was that?!" Cartman asked while sitting up with wide eyes, more shocked than angry at the disruption. Kenny sat up shaking his head, clearing the slight dizziness he felt.

 _"Eric...hold off on killing Kenneth for the time being. We've got something else to worry about,"_ Zerphy warned, releasing her spell. Cartman smacked his teeth, standing up with a normal knife in his hand.

"Seriously? What now?" He mumbled to himself before taking off in the direction the wind came from.

Kenny watched him go in confusion as Yuna's barrier disappeared. He stood up.  _"Umm what just happened?"_

There was a seconds silence before Yuna spoke.  _"It's Stanley, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing or bad one."_

Kenny tightened his hands into fist, pressing his lips together with narrowing eyes.  _"Guess we'll find out then."_

And with that, he took off after Cartman.


	21. Misfortune Pt. 4- Obstacles and Saving a Friend Pt.2 (Finale)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/n: We've reached the last chapter of the arc! But the next arc: Through Rain, Snow, and Blood will continue from where we left off, but in a different POV.
> 
> And we are back to Clyde, Craig, and Wendy. Please enjoy)

_Craig and Clyde_

"Since the two of you defied the darkness, I shall send you brats to a different one known as Hell."

The threat sent a shudder of fear down Craig's spine, his eyes gazing at the women that was once Clyde's mother. Dull dark red locking with his nervous amber ones. Clyde was now standing behind Craig with his head cast down inside of a white barrier, still bounded by the white chains Craig placed onto him.

Mrs. Donovan narrowed her eyes with a sinister glint, smirking along the way as she lowered her arm to her side that held onto a knife. Craig looked away from her to look at the weapon with lingering anxiety, trying not to imagine himself being cut, stabbed, or even sliced in half by the thing.

"Well then, time to die," Mrs. Donovan declared sweetly, charging at Craig quickly after with her knife ready to do him a lot of harm. Craig snapped his eyes at her, but she was far too fast for him to summon up a barrier to protect himself with. Before he even knew it, she closed the gap between them in no more than three seconds, appearing before him like a ghost. With a widening smirk, she raised and arced her arm back, preparing to slice his head off.

The noirette lifted his head with big eyes and a partly opened mouth, watching silently and with dread as the blade curved down near the side of his head. His body was stiff as a board, his heart was thudding like a madman pounding against a drum, and his mind was racing with thoughts and images of his life ending.

 _"Master Craig!"_ Stripe cried, casting a shield around the boy just in time before the sharp metal was mere meters away from his neck.

The woman grunted in startled anger, jumping back a yard with her smirk gone. She blinked suddenly in confusion, looking down at her hand containing the knife to see her limb shaking uncontrollably, barely able to hold the weapon steady. Grimace crossed her features, then she slowly raised her arm with difficulty, dropping the knife in the process.

 _"Damn, guess I wasn't actually lucky after all. This body is far too weak, couldn't even handle a God damn impact from a barrier,"_ the dark spirit inside her head thought angrily.

Craig's legs gave out and he landed onto his knees, body trembling heavily while his head was still facing upward. Tears were leaking from his wide eyes and his mouth was still open, the boy was in immense shock.

Inside the white space within Craig's mind, Stripe frowned with a nervous drop of sweat near his cheek, sensing his host's powers becoming unstable. His frowned deepened when he recalled of this scenario happening once before.  _"I have to snap him back to his senses and fast,"_ he thought with urgency. He kept the barrier around Craig for his safety, just in case the possessed woman decided to take this opportunity to attack him again. Stripe spared a glance at said female through a large oval shaped screen of the outside world, it's edges faded and dancing around as if being blown by a light breeze. It wasn't connected to Craig's eyes exactly, but it could be seen as one except a little more better than the human eyes, it was able to see and detect greater than normal.

Stripe felt slight relief when he saw the woman struggling with her arm, giving him some time to calm Craig down.  _"Master Craig, clam down! Everything is okay, you aren't going to die!"_  But just like before, his words didn't reach the noirette. Stripe gritted his teeth, pushing himself to keep his composure with the lack of another solution.

"Damn it, what else can I do?" He asked himself in a mumble.

Stripe thought hard for an alternative, but a foreboding feeling washed over him and his eyes expanded in horror. He jerked his head upward towards the oval display. "Master Craig please get a hold of yourself! If you keep this up, you'll-"

A loud crash of thunder from outside silenced him. He gritted his teeth again as he watched the dark clouds appear almost black, the rain continuing it's downpour. But he suddenly acquired this strange feeling, yet it had nothing to do with the dark changes going on outside. Instead it felt foreign and wrong at the same time, like something didn't belong...

"Oi," someone called from behind him.

Stripe spun himself around with a gasp, eyes growing in shock at the man in all black inside Craig's head. "Wha-how are you-" Stripe began to question, but the other cut him off.

"I don't have time to explain, I came here to help you out," Leon said, his expression calm.

Stripe gave him a confused frown. "...I see..." The boy Guardian was both curious, and skeptical about this man's sudden appearance. All three Guardian's may coexist, well not all of them actually, but those of different elements shouldn't be able to enter another ones domain with opposite powers. Only Mixed are able to since they posses both Light and Dark powers.

Leon stuffed his hands inside his coat pockets. "Since my host is outta commission, I came over here BUT not in my physical form. Anyway, have you heard of 'Power Link'?"

Stripe shook his head, having never heard of such before. Leon heaved a sigh, taking one hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head. "Seriously? Well, I mean I guess I can understand since it's a forbidden technique and Light Guardian's don't mess with those," the taller male mumbled, lowering his hand back into his pocket.

Stripe frowned again. "Forbidden?" He repeated, uncertain.

Leon nodded. "Yeah, all Guardian's can do it but only if they know of the consequences afterwards. It's basically an ability that allows the Guardian to take control of their host's body, allowing them to combine their powers with a great boost. But there is downside to it though, and that's why it's forbidden. The Guardian MUST have permission to access their host's body, and if denied then they can't do it. However if the Guardian does it anyway, then it's called a 'Forced Power Link', and the Guardian has complete control of the host's body. There is no time limit either, so the Guardian can remain in control as long as they want in the Forced Power Link, eventually becoming one, literally, with their host as time passes. So Stripe, you wanna do it?"

Stripe didn't answer as he took in every once of Leon's explanation into his brain, the short brown and white haired boy having a conflicted look on his face. He spoke after a few seconds. "I-if I do that, it'll be a Forced Power Link though..."

"Whether it's forced or not the outcome will still be the same," Leon specified. "I'm not tryin' pressure you or anything kid, but right now I think it's the only chance we've got plus you can take down that woman too. It's risky, but worth it."

Stripe lightly bit down on his lip, still debating on doing the prohibited technique or not.  _"I-it's the only thing that I can do to prevent any destruction from happening in this town, but..."_

"What will happen after both Link's?" Stripe asked nervously, imagining the worse.

Leon formed his lips into a hard line. "I don't know, but I think it depends. Like for example how long the linkage lasts or somethin'. But like I said, it's risky but worth a shot." Suddenly, his eyes widened and Stripe turned around when they heard a gargled scream. The white around them now taken over by black.

Through the Egg shaped hole, the two Guardian's saw Craig holding a bloody knife in his hand by his side, his face painted with spots of the red liquid. It appeared that the rain had stopped a little while ago, the clouds were dark and dry. A crazed smile was on Craig's lips and both of his eyes were a demented silver. Below him on his right was a badly wounded Mrs. Donovan, a deep stab wound in the middle of her chest. A large amount of blood was seeping into her dress and onto the soaked pavement, some was also trailing down to her chin from her gaping mouth. The woman was barely clinging on to life.

Craig lost his smile, cocking his head slightly to the side in a innocent manner. "Oh, still alive?" His smile came back. "I can fix that." He shoved the blade into her wound, causing more blood to splatter onto his face when she cried out and from her chest, and with that her head went limp to the side, eyes wide open and lifeless.

Craig left the knife in her chest, standing upright as an insane laugh left through closed teeth. But he heaved a sigh afterwards, sounding disappointed. "Well that didn't last long, wonder who's next?" He hummed, looking around in hopes of another target. He grinned when his eyes landed upon Clyde in the barrier, Craig's mind too far gone to realize that it was his best friend. His  _only_  friend he's targeting.

The noirette took threatening steps towards the brunette, head still down and oblivious to his approaching doom. A dark glow enclosed Craig's hands, and the barrier disappeared, leaving Clyde vulnerable. The magic of Darkness stayed around Craig's hands.

 _"What the hell?! Isn't this kid a Light user?"_ Leon thought in shock. "Do it now Stripe!" He shouted. "Quickly before he kills Clyde!" Without hearing the boy's say in the matter, the older Guardian was gone.

Stripe watched his host in stunned horror. This  _was not_  how he was supposed be with volatile powers. Instead of one eye being silver, both eyes were the same color, which was impossible since Stripe only applied his magic into Craig's right eye. And now he's using Dark powers on top of that...

_"Master Craig..."_

_"Do it now Stripe! Quickly before he kills Clyde!"_

Stripe clenched his teeth tightly, balling his hands into fists at his sides. With glossy eyes, the human guinea pig glared into the oval screen, watching as Craig stood almost face to face with Clyde. Craig raised one of his hands over Clyde's downcast head, cocking his back a bit with a wide smile. The blood on his face making him appear like a crazed killer.

Stripe shut his watering eyes.  _"I..I have to do it. I can't let Master Craig bear the burden of killing his friend...he's already killed the boy's mother..."_

A single teardrop escaped from underneath his eyelid, trailing down his cheek then landing onto the floor, sending up tiny droplets upon impact. Stripe slowly opened his eyes, he didn't how to go about the dangerous process, but for some reason his mind knew what to say, so he spoke them with great guilty.

"Master Craig...forgive me, but please...allow me to take over."

After saying those words, Stripe felt himself getting light, as was his vision. The background was still dark, but thanks to the bright light, it lightened every inch of the darkness with ease. Stripe closed his eyes, relaxing as his body became a white medium sized orb. It stayed afloat in the air, increasing it's radiance enough to blind a person.

Back outside, just when Craig was ready to fire a spell at the defenseless Clyde, he stopped with wide eyes of bewilderment. His powers dimmed before going out, and he pulled his extended hand back to look at it with growing puzzlement.

"What the- Ngh!" His question got cut off by a grunt of pain, feeling a sharp twinge inside his head. He clenched one eye shut as he held his head with both hands, taking a wobbly step back from Clyde. Craig continued to feel the acute throb until his vision suddenly started fading, opening his other eye and widening them in panic.

Before he could even question what was happening to him, or fathom it even, his vision went completely black and he lost consciousness. Just as his body was about to drop to the ground, Stripe managed to prevent it from happening, swaying some but maintaining his balance with his head angled down.

The chains around Clyde's wrists and ankles dissolved into tiny particles, appearing like minuscule snowflakes before vanishing into the air. The near black clouds brightened, but only slightly back to their original storm grey, and a light shower of rain came falling down.

After the passing of ten seconds, Clyde's head snapped upward, confusion apparent on his face.  _"W-what happened? Was I asleep?"_ He heard Leon snort inside his head, startling him with a jolt of his shoulders.

_"Kid, just be lucky you're still alive right now after all the crap that just happened. You turned into a freakin' zombie as soon as you saw your mom, but-"_

_"My mom?!"_ And that's when Clyde remembered, but only that far, because afterwards was a total blank. He scanned his surroundings for his mother, spotting her immediately on the ground behind the motionless Craig a few feet away. Worry hit Clyde's stomach like a punch to the gut, eying the knife embedded into her chest with shaking eyes, releasing a whimper at the vast pool of blood surrounding her.

"M-mom?" He called with his voice barely above a whisper. Shakily, he started to make his way over to his mother, his movement slow and irregular at first until his feet picked up speed.

 _"I'm sorry kid,"_ Leon apologized.

Clyde ran in a daze, except he was conscious about what he was doing. He sped past Craig, who still had yet to have moved, but Clyde was only focused on his mother. She was his main concern. His eyes began to water the closer he got to her, lips quivering and barely suppressing his whimpers.

Once he's beside her, he collapsed onto his knees, not even caring about the blood soaking into his pajama pants. He got on all fours, grimacing at the touch of blood on his bare palm, hovering half of his body over his mother. He looked at the knife, and without any thought, raised a hand and gripped it's handle. The tears poured as he weakly pulled the blade out, causing fresh blood to ooze out from the heavy wound. Clyde ignored the squishy sounds it made as he proceeded to pull the blade out, his sight blurring by his constant flow of tears.

Once the deadly weapon is out, he dropped it into the red puddle, keeping an obscured eye on the dead woman.

"M-mommy?" He whimpered again.

"I'm so sorry," a quiet voice said.

Clyde turned his head to the side to see Craig facing his way, his clothes coated in blood splatters while his chullo only had a few small dots of red on it, his black wet bangs were shadowing his eyes. Clyde sniffled. "C-Craig, w-what happened?"

The boy clenched his hands into fists, one of them covered in more blood than the other. "I'm so sorry Clyde...I'm sorry," he repeated, sounding deeply ashamed.

Clyde wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and another sniffle, lowering his arm to look at Craig in a slightly clearer view. "Did...did you do it?" The black hair boy didn't answer. "Did you do this?" Clyde asked again, his voice low.

"No, I...he didn't do it." The black haired boy raised his head, revealing sorrowful, silver eyes. "Craig didn't kill her." It was lie, but Stripe didn't have the heart to tell Clyde the truth, and he really hoped Leon wouldn't tell him either.

There was an awkward silence. Clyde looked away and back to his mother without another word, not bothering to question his friends' changed eyes. His lavender eyes watered again, observing his dead mother with hopeless, crying orbs.

 _"Kid I know you're still grieving, but we gotta go,"_ Leon spoke gently.

"I don't care," came Clyde's murmur of a reply. "I'm not leaving her."

 _"We have to save Bebe remember? Do you want her to end like your mom?"_ Leon pressed.

Clyde flinched with hurt at his Inner Guardian's accusation, but knew he was right although Clyde had forgotten at first. He didn't want to lose Bebe either, and it took great effort for him to stand up, deciding to put an end to his mourning, or at least save it for another time. He gave his mother one last look, wiping at his eyes again then seeing that her eyes were still open. Open and void of life. The brunette reached his hand over, and slid her eyelids closed. He grimaced again when he got blood on her face, positioning his bloody hand in front of his chest and staring sadly at the crimson fluid, the slow raindrops doing little wonders of washing it away. He dropped his hand to his side, and raised his head, looking forward.

 _"Don't forget that you still have your dad, Craig, and me so there's no need to give up. Are y_ _ou ready to go?"_

Clyde nodded that he was a few seconds later. He looked over at Craig, who gave him a nod and a slightly nervous small smile, cuing he was ready as well. Little by little, the blood on his face smeared down his face due to the light rain. Clyde frowned and looked away.

The two boys were engulfed by individual white and black spheres, then in that instant, gone from the area.

As soon as they weren't in sight, black particles suddenly began to evaporate from Mrs. Donovan's body. Bit by bit, areas of her body were turning into dark fragments that drifted up into the air. It didn't stop until her body was no more, leaving the pool of blood and knife behind.

**(A/n: Hope it wasn't confusing around the Stripe and Craig swap, since Clyde doesn't know about it yet. Just keep in mind that it's Stripe for the time being.)**

* * *

_Wendy  
_

_"T-that can't be her...not Bebe..."_

Wendy was frozen where she stood, her clothes still wet and her body still shaking, wide orchid eyes holding the attention of bright dark green and pupil-less from in the living room. The female noirette was paralyzed by the unblinking stare, the corners of her vision darkening with the exception of Bebe's eyes, they were in the dead center of Wendy's sight. She felt like she was slowly going into a trance, and even if she tried to fight it, her efforts would most definitely be futile.

 _"Wendy, snap out of it!"_ Elena hollered.

Eyes fluttering in shock with a gasp, Wendy was pulled out of her stupor. She shook her head to clear her mind, not stopping until she was sure the dizziness was gone. Once the feeling subsided, she opened her eyes, this time finding another pair of dark green eyes next to Bebe's, except higher. Wendy's body stiffened, unable to discern the taller person's identity. She had the frightening suspicion that it's either Mrs. or Mr. Stevens.

"It's a great pleasure that you decided to join us, Wendy Testaburger," they said, giggling mysteriously with an evil glint in their eyes.

Wendy flinched, knowing whom the person was now. Mrs. Stevens strolled over to her, the woman's footsteps sounding loud in Wendy's ears amidst the silence. She began to take some steps back, not going anywhere since she was still in the front, her back hitting the door behind her. She could only shake in fear as Mrs. Stevens closed in on her.

"No need to be so scared child," the taller blonde cooed not-so-motherly. "As long as you behave, no harm will come to you." She stopped, now towering over Wendy. Mrs. Stevens extended a hand towards her, Wendy watching as her lips curled into a malevolent smirk. "Come, join me and Bebe.  _Join_  the darkness."

Wendy released a shriek when her right hand was roughly taken into Mrs. Stevens' own, twisting and tugging her hand to try and free herself, but was gripped tight. "Do not struggle, you will only make this harder on yourself," Bebe's mother warned.

"N-no let me go!" Wendy demanded.

 _"Wendy!"_ Elena cried, gritting her teeth afterwards.  _"Damn it, I should've kept the barrier up."_

Just when a black cloud of smoke sprung forth from Mrs. Stevens' hand, the woman suddenly pulled away like she'd just gotten burned all of a sudden. She took two steps back, holding her hand in the other as she glared at Wendy.

 _"What the hell was that? It felt like something shocked me,"_ she thought, eager to know what that brief sting was. She turned her head halfway in Bebe's direction. "Come here," she ordered, and the little girl obeyed without a word.

Without any recollection, Wendy opened her eyes, widening them slightly at the yellow light from her wrist. She rolled up her sleeve as she pulled her hand close to her chest, allowing the golden light more freedom to brighten—if only by a small amount, of the dark area around her.

_"What...happened?"_

_"As long as it continues to shine, you'll be okay,"_ Elena reassured.

Wendy instantly felt alleviated, smiling softly at her bracelet.  _"Really? Thank you."_

Elena returned the smile, but shook her head, looking up at her host from inside of the plastic object.  _"I didn't do anything, but it's not over yet so please keep your guard firm."_

 _"Then did I..."_ She quickly pushed the question behind her, heeding Elena's advice. She closed both her eyes and hand, placing her gently closed fist over her chest as she took a deep breath, loosening her tense muscles. She repeated words of assurance inside her head, reminding herself that she's not alone nor will she ever be so she needn't be afraid.

_"I...can do this."_

She opened her eyes, courageous orchid looking into Bebe's cold ones, the little girl currently standing next to her mother. Mrs. Stevens narrowed her eyes further, her hands at her sides, and balling the one she gripped with Wendy's into a fist. "It seems you've acquired an Inner Guardian, and it possesses the ability of Light at that. No wonder," the woman mused angrily.

Wendy appeared shocked by the possessed woman's intuition. "H-how do you know that?"

Mrs. Stevens giggled some. "There's no point telling you so I'm not going to waste my breath." She looked down at her daughter. "Bebe, it's your turn now. And do not fail," she commanded sternly.

Bebe nodded, approaching Wendy as she stretched out her right hand. Wendy gasped when she saw a faint purple light glowing from underneath Bebe's sleeve.

 _"It looks like her Guardian is still trying to get into her bracelet,"_ Elena explained.  _"We must help them. Take Bebe's hand into your right one, and I'll do the rest from there."_

Wendy obliged with a nod, closing the little gap between them as she quickly took Bebe's hand into her corresponding one. Both girls along with Mrs. Stevens increased the size of their eyes in complete shock. From Bebe's hand, the black mass of smoke was only visible for a brief second before it was completely overpowered by the yellow light from Wendy's bracelet. The purple light was still faint from Bebe's own, and it wasn't due to her sleeve blocking it, the darkness within her wasn't letting up.

 _"I'm going place a barrier around you two to prevent Bebe's mother from interfering, then travel into her bracelet. Don't let go of her hand,"_ Elena instructed. Wendy's eyes returned to normal size and she nodded again, looking into Bebe's still widened ones.

Mrs. Stevens snapped out of her surprised state with a glare at the little noirette once again. She quickly neared the two. "What the hell are you-"

She's cut off by a large white ball of a barrier enclosing around the girls, this one lacking transparency, leaving only Wendy and Bebe's silhouette's evident inside it. The woman growled and raised her balled fist to pound against the shield, but just when she's inches away from touching it, she's sent back by a visible yellow strike of static. She cried out as she fell onto her side, the force strong enough to leave her struggling to sit up.

She weakly scowled at the barrier, teeth clenched tightly.

"Damn you Guardian..."

**/**

Inside of the white ball, Wendy held onto Bebe's hand securely, their fingers interlocked down in front of their waists. Wendy watched through her peripheral as the yellow glow from her bracelet traveled over to Bebe's, keeping a close eye on her best friend with a frown but with narrowed eyes of determination.

"We'll save you so hang on," Wendy promised in a whisper.

Now with Elena, who was currently inside of Bebe's bracelet. She glanced around in the dark blue colored space, but spotted a grey light from her right that was a couple of yards away. She used one hand to lift up her dress before going into a light jog towards the dull illumination. She slowed into a walk once she's a feet away from it, then came to a stop shortly after.

She eyed the sporadic light for a few moments, then extended one of her hands towards it, closing it into a fist. Her hand began to radiate in a bright white, her magic granting her safe entry inside the odd shaped ball. Her skin instantly felt cold, furrowing her eyebrows as she ventured in deeper, stopping when the tip of her finger grazed something. She frowned and opened her eyes.

"So the darkness reduced you to this state...," she muttered.

 _"Yeah, so can you help me out?"_ The voice, a girl, asked from inside the orb.

"Of course, that's the reason I'm here," Elena replied, extracting her hand. Once her hand was out, she placed both palms in front of the light and closed her eyes again, channeling a good amount of energy into them. They shined a clear white as a matching barrier appeared around the small ball of silver, placing it in the center. Elena furrowed her eyebrows again as she continued to concentrate, using no words to go about the strength reducing process. The girl confined in both circular objects said nothing, respecting the older woman's required need of silence.

After the passing of a few minutes, the color of the barrier changed into a dark grey. Elena's eyes flew open with a short gasp, shocked to see and feel the abrupt change happening inside of her spell, but she kept her hands in it, watching as the odd glow slowly calmed then go still. It appeared like an ordinary ball of grey, but only for a few seconds, growing and expanding then outlining into the form of a female. _  
_

_"What? How is this possible? I wasn't finished yet,"_ Elena thought. She closed her hands into fists and the barrier vanished, then she lowered her arms down to her sides.

Soon, the girl began to appear in a distinguishable, physical form. Her height was close to Elena's own, her hair was a neck length grey, and her eyes that were opening were an olive green. She wore a two piece dress where the shirt was white and the long  length skirt was black, a pair of flat heeled knee high boots were on her feet. On her ears were a pair of ruby and diamond cluster studs.

She stretched with a deep sigh then gave Elena a warm smile. "Thanks, I owe ya one," she said in a mature voice, bowing her head slightly. "My name's Emerald Vermilion, thought I was never gonna get outta that form." She grimaced slightly at the thought.

Elena gave her a small grin. "No there's no need, I was just helping a fellow Guardian. I'm Elena Edgewood, also how were you able to speed up my spell in the barrier?"

The area around them brightened into a purple color. Emerald cocked an eyebrow. "I...honestly have no idea, I don't think I even did anything."

Elena formed her lips into a thin line.  _"Then it must've been the dark's doing somehow._ " She pushed the issue behind her for a later time. "Well my job here is done so I'll take my leave now," she announced, body forming into a yellow spark.

"Okay, and thanks again," Emerald said. The bright particle flew high into the air until Emerald couldn't see it anymore.

The grey haired woman shut her eyes.  _"Now that I'm back to my original form, it's time to snap my host out of her corruption."_

Outside of the bracelet, Wendy felt great relief when she saw the yellow glow returning to her bracelet, Bebe's dark green eyes flickering between that and indigo. Wendy pressed her lips together, and applied light pressure on her friends' hand.

 _"Did we do it?"_ She asked Elena, trying not to get her hopes up in case they were far from it. _  
_

_"Almost, it's up to her Guardian now,"_ Elena responded, having not a single doubt.  _"You can let go of her hand."_

Wendy shook her head, unyielding her light hold.  _"I'm not letting go until I know for sure."_

 _"Okay then, but it shouldn't be too long,"_ the red haired woman predicted, later sensing something that was really close to them.  _"Wendy there are two Guardians outside of this house, one is a Light and the other is a Mixed. I think they're here to save Bebe as well."  
_

After the struggle of dominance, Bebe's true eye color came out victorious. She blinked rapidly a couple of times with a groan, widening her eyes when she spotted Wendy in front of her who was giving her a smile with glossy orbs.

"W-Wendy?! What's go-going..." Her question slurred as her body suddenly slumped forward, Wendy unlocking their clasped hands to catch her. The two dropped to the floor as Wendy began to panic.

"Bebe?! Are you okay?!" She began to panic even more when she didn't receive a reply.

 _"No need to worry, she's just unconscious,"_ Elena reassured.  _"Being a slave to the darkness can be very tiring, that is if they're freed from it."_

Taking a deep breath, Wendy relaxed herself, gently laying Bebe down on the floor.  _"What about Mrs. Stevens? Can we..."_ She trailed off.

_"I'm afraid we can't. Her mother is in too deep with the darkness, it'll take days to release her from it."_

Wendy frowned.  _"Oh...so what now?"_

Before she could get an answer, there was a soft knock against the barrier.

Startled by the sound, Wendy spun herself around to see a glimpse of a pair of shadows standing behind her, unable to fully discern them due to the barrier's thickness.

"W-who's there?" She asked.

 _"It's most likely the hosts' of the two Guardians I sensed before,"_ Elena said.  _"But I'm not letting down the barrier, I'm going to send you and Bebe to my realm."_

Wendy wasn't sure if she should feel reluctant or shocked by her Guardian's decision.

"Bebe...are you in there?" A vague muffled voice asked timidly.

Wendy blinked.  _"Wait,_  was _that..."_

"Clyde? Is that you?" She questioned out loud.

"Wait Wendy?! You're here too?!" Clyde nearly exclaimed.

"Yeah it's me, and Bebe's in here too. She's asleep," Wendy answered. "Who is that with you?" She asked gesturing to the person beside him.

"It's Craig," Clyde answered. "What hap-" He stopped himself suddenly, and there was silence.

Wendy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Clyde?"

"Sorry, but we have to go. Since the both of you are okay and all," Clyde mumbled, sounding troubled with the decision.

Wendy felt the same way, they had just gotten here and now they had to leave so abruptly, plus she still had some questions. But at least she knew that aside from herself, Bebe, and Stan, Clyde and Craig were okay.

"Alright," was all she said, not hiding her sadness.

"Don't worry, you'll see each other again," she heard Craig say.

Wendy saw both their silhouette's disappear in the blink of an eye.  _"We're leaving as well,"_ Elena announced.

The barrier shined before vanishing, leaving tiny twinkling particles in the air until they too, disappeared.

...

A giggle broke the silence, soon turning into loud laughter. Mrs. Stevens pushed herself up from the floor, stopping on all fours as she continued about with her insane laughing.

"I'm going to make them regret leaving me alive. I'll make sure of it," she vowed with a smirk, but the smile quickly left her lips once she noticed she wasn't alone. Heavy footsteps entered the living room and continued until they were behind her.

"I-impossible..." Mrs. Stevens slowly twisted her head to the side, getting a faint glance of the person, their glasses glinting mysteriously in the dark. The woman scurried onto her feet, glaring nervously at the individual. "H-how the hell are you still alive? I'm positive I killed you."

The man gave a short chuckle, pushing his spectacles up to the bridge of his nose, his plum eye visible while the other was still hidden by his lens' gleam. "Sorry to disappoint you, but the wound you gave me wasn't anywhere near fatal. Even a ordinary human could survive such a pathetic injury."

Mrs. Stevens growled at the man's mockery, clenching her hands into fists. "You son a bitch, don't you dare talk down on me!" She charged at the male with a cry of anger, but what followed next was a choking hic, her movement coming to fast halt.

"I think I can free her from a weak entity like you," the man said, keeping his pressure strong around the blonde's neck. She clawed at his hands as she struggled for air, but the tall man didn't let up nor did he feel the nails peeling his skin and leaving them red and almost bloody. "Or if I'm too late, I can just kill you." He tightened his hold a little more.

Mrs. Stevens coughed, opening one eye with a scowl. "Y-you, w-who are you?"

The man smirked and lifted her slightly into the air, her feet no longer touching the floor. "Someone you should've  _never_ messed with."

The hand holding Mrs. Stevens captive glowed a light green, and she screamed.

_*End of Arc 1- Young Awakenings*_


End file.
